A Ruckus of Leaves
by Silver Lazurite
Summary: The Zero Reverse set up the universe of 5D's, but what would have happened had the disaster not occured 18 years ago? Jack would still be in Satellite, Aki would still be psychic, Crow would still be a rogue, but Yusei would be... King.
1. I 1: Neo Domino City, September, Final

_Sic Transit Gloria Mundi – _Thus passes the glory of the world - Anon

**Chapter One **

In the dark bowels of the stadium, the mechanical beauty growled.

Everything started as a faint purr. Louder and louder it became as the machine gradually floated out of its sleep of oblivion, screw by screw, inch by inch. The purring magnified itself as more and more of the metal came into life, ascending into an incoherent mumbling, a hoarse whisper, an escalating groan. The accelerator was pressed, again, and again, and the groan became impetuous, echoing desperately in the long endless metal corridor, its sound colliding and folding in onto itself in this constriction. Pieces of metal stirred and shook, threatening to burst out of its form. The exhilaration of promised movement sent the cogwheels rattling impatiently while the engine was revved. As its owner took it up to maximum power the D-Wheel broke into an explosive roar, screaming to demand its rightful place galloping in the air and sun, finally howling that it be let out onto its destined palindrome where it hungers for its life and breath.

But the rider on top of the D-Wheel kept this unleashed beast in check. His booted foot, resting steadily on the ground, rooted the machine tightly to earth. The blunt red metal curve behind his seat was yet unready as he did not settle in and no matter how the wheels twirled and twisted, the machine he built remained stationary under his hand.

In his own silence and stillness, even amid all the noise, that rider was listening for something. The sign that will tell him to move.

And before that time come, he will stay here, solitary and unchanging, just waiting.

Then very faintly – trumpets rang out in the stadium.

Quickly, he tucked his leg into the D-Wheel. The curve he designed, looming up behind him like an ominous crimson moon, shifted to its premeditated tilt as he sat into the driving position. He fiddled one last time with his bright red helmet as the protective synthetic glass came down over his sapphire eyes, and he released the brakes as he anticipated the door of this passage to open and lead him out to the stadium.

With the fresh air came the screams and hollering of hundreds of fans. The cheerleaders, scantily dressed, were calling out his name rhythmically as they performed their choreography. He tilted the nose of the D-Wheel upwards and his machine flew out of the dark passage, landing squarely into the palindrome's smooth runway under a brilliant, perfect morning sky. The weather had been more than gracious for the final matches of this season. The sound of a full house almost drowned out the noise of his D-Wheel, so loud was their desire to see his battle.

"And here we are, the defending champion himself!" The MC was yelling into his microphone, as usual. A new wave of screams followed it around the stadium. "On his red D-Wheel rides our shooting star, the glory of Neo Domino City, the undefeated ruler of this stadium! Here he comes – "

His mind didn't take in the rest of that sentence. He already stopped at the starting line with his challenger, and at this moment all he thought of was the approaching game. Besides, there is no point in hearing, over and over again, his own name.

"Let's get this duel on then!" The MC proclaimed. The countdown counter showed up, and he tensed. "Get ready, duelists! Five, four, three, two, one! Riding duel, acceleration!"

That's right; a fleeting thought flickered past his mind the moment he accelerated into the first curve and felt the unimaginable ecstasy of this near-flight speed. Here on the battlefield, he is just a duelist. Nothing more, and nothing less. Momentarily freed from the weight that has been on his heart these days, the youth on the red bike that he built himself focused all his thoughts on the duel at hand.

His name is Fudo Yusei, the only son of the renowned Professor Fudo, who devised the world's first eternal machine. He is the King.

-XXXXX-

"Look at this!" The MC's commentary went excitedly. "The King took out the challenger in three turns! The crown is still untouched! The King had remained undefeated for three years!"

One hour later, in a house situated in the picturesque suburb of Tops, Neo Domino city, a young boy stared enthralled at the wide plasma screen.

"The King chose to go second this time." On screen, the MC had calmed his voice just a little bit as he went through the analysis of the duel. "Like many other duels, he started by playing Speed Warrior and attacked and destroyed the challenger's monster. Then, having done that, he placed three cards facedown. At that time, unexpectedly, the challenger – "

"Ru – Rua?"

The young boy jolted on the couch. He silently reprimanded himself for devoting so much attention on the TV that he didn't even hear his sister walking into the room. Giving one last brief, lingering look at the duel being replayed on the TV screen, the young boy jumped off the sofa and rushed towards his sister.

"Ruka, are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Don't worry." She gave him a weak, but comforting smile. He grinned back.

"Oh… it's the replay of this morning's duel, isn't it?" Her attention shifted onto the TV, in which the MC's voice had gone up an octave as the game reversed into the champion's favour again. He couldn't help but grin happily again and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I was just watching it. Sorry I didn't even hear you wake up with all this ruckus – "

"No. It's ok, Rua." His sister lowered her head, her fringe of green hair falling over her olivine eyes as she did so. "I'm the one who should be apologising. It's all because that I suddenly got sick that you didn't even get to go see the duel."

"Ruka! Don't say that!" The boy was visibly agitated. "It's not your fault! Besides, Yusei himself is gonna come real soon. I'll have all the time in the world to ask him as much as I want, so I've missed out on nothing! Don't blame yourself."

She let the subject rest. He grabbed the remote control and turned the sound down. As he did that, the voices speaking in the next room became discernible.

"Are they still talking?" Rua nodded at his sister's question and turned the TV volume lower still. With the dimming of that source of liveliness their spacious living room felt that much emptier all of a sudden. The subdued muttering of the adults, filtering through from the lounge next door, didn't help with this feeling at all.

"I… were they worried about me, Rua?"

"They – " Seeing his sister's serious face, the green-headed boy sighed and dismissed his cheerful façade. "A little bit. Uncle Fudo thought of sending you to the hospital this time, but Uncle Goodwin and Uncle Izayoi said we should probably wait a while. You turned out alright, so we left you sleeping in your room to let you recover."

Ruka sank into the sofa, nursing her head. Rua had been looking forward to the final duel of the season for the whole week, and it was such a hassle getting two tickets, too. However, she just had to get one of her dizzy spells this morning, and promptly fainted. She could imagine how Rua must have panicked. Her brother always told her he would handle everything perfectly fine without her, but she knows better. She was glad that Professor Fudo, Director Goodwin, and Senator Izayoi were supposed to come over and were right on time to deal with things. Moreover, she knew just how much Rua wanted to see that duel with his own eyes, so she was relieved when she realised Yusei, the King himself, was meant to come over as well.

Speaking of, the sound of a D-Wheel's engine could be heard in the street below.

"Yusei's here!" Rua literally jumped in joy and sprang towards the door. Ruka chuckled at her twin brother's back, who was eagerly awaiting his friend and idol to come up the elevator with his D-Wheel. As if aware of the excitement of the children, the adults' voices in the next room dimmed down too.

After what must have been an agonisingly long wait for Rua, the elevator beeped and the door opened. Yusei, carrying his red helmet under his right arm and his left hand resting casually on his D-Wheel, flashed his usual gentle smile at Rua, who almost sprang on him like a little puppy the moment the door parted. Laughing and fending off Rua's rapid-fire questions at the same time, the blue-eyed young man walked into the living room of Ruka and Rua's house, leaving his D-Wheel and helmet politely beside the door. He paused a little when he saw that his duel was being replayed on the television.

"I was just watching the re-run!" Rua gestured. "You're as amazing as ever, Yusei! How did you guess he was going to play that Speed Spell? And you had the perfect Trap down as well!"

"I know his style." The young man replied evenly with his low, calm tone of speech. "Speaking of style, Rua, did the number of products with my face on it increase even more in this house?"

"You know Rua. He's always scooping up the King franchise, even when he can meet the real King." Ruka answered for Rua. Her brother pulled a face at her, and she pulled one back. Now that Yusei's here, she felt more secure and at ease, as it always has been whenever the blue-eyed young man is around. Seeing the twins mockingly sticking their tongues out at each other, Yusei grinned.

"Oh right, where's the computer chip your father told me to pick up, Ruka?"

"It's over in the top drawer," Rua got the words out before Ruka did. "And Yusei, address _me_ next time when you want something in this house! I'm the man in the family with our parents gone!"

Ruka softly punched her brother's side. "I'm older! And I'm the one who should be responsible for the house." Turning to Yusei again, she continued. "Dad's chip is in that top drawer. He brought it back from Germany; it's the exact model you asked for."

Yusei walked up to a tall dresser and opened the said drawer, taking out a minute computer chip wrapped delicately in paper. He had asked Ruka and Rua's father, one of the most outstanding businessmen of Neo Domino City, to get a specific computer chip during any one of his seemingly endless business trips. The elder man had finally got it in his most recent trip. Putting this little chip, which would improve the performance of his D-Wheel greatly, into his navy jacket pocket, Yusei turned back to the twins.

"Are your parents gone again, Ruka, Rua?"

"Yep. Back last night, and gone before the sun came up this morning." Rua's arms were crossed, and he was pouting. "I barely got to see them before I fell asleep… _but_ we've got the house all to ourselves again! Freedom to Rua as always!"

As the twelve-year-old little boy said this, he spread his arms upwards and closed his eyes in an expression of immense satisfaction. Yusei knew better. Despite being born in perhaps the richest family in Domino, Ruka and Rua had known preciously little about family life. Their parents used to hire caretakers, but after they turned ten the twins adamantly declared they are able to live properly on their own, saying they've gotten used to not having their parents around. Indeed, judging by the amount of time and the frequency of their parents' stay in this house, they might as well be the guests to their children's home. Besides, due to Ruka's frail physique, it is rare for Rua to be able to go out at all. What freedom does the boy actually have apart from staring at that television day and night?

Ruka noticed the solemnity on Yusei's face.

"Yusei?"

"Hm?" Coming out of his reverie, Yusei looked at Ruka expectantly.

"Your dad is in the lounge with Uncle Goodwin, talking over some Momentum business. Are you gonna stay a while and say hi to them?"

"Dad is here?" Yusei's eyes widened in surprise. "He's off work? And Uncle Rex too?"

"Sorry we didn't tell you last night," Ruka smiled apologetically. "They decided to come over this morning to catch Dad before he left."

"Not only them, but Uncle Izayoi is in the lounge as well!" Rua went on. "With even the Senator here, I'm pretty sure they're talking about some major issues, probably even more than the Momentum – ow, Ruka, why'd you punch me?"

Ruka was glaring at her brother for not watching his mouth. With a quick move of her eyes, she gestured towards Yusei. Rua promptly quietened down.

"Uncle Izayoi, huh?" Yusei muttered. He moved towards the lounge door.

"Yu – Yusei, are you ok?" Rua tried to amend things. "So – Sorry about that. I just thought –"

"It's alright, Rua. It's better for you to tell me that." Turning back to the twins, and with his hand on the handle, Yusei gave his friends that familiar smile. "I'll be fine."

With that, he opened the door.

"Yusei! You're here too?" Yusei was greeted by his father's surprised voice. Professor Fudo looked up at his son with his own blue irises, and Yusei gave a heartfelt smile back.

"I'm here to pick up something that Ruka and Rua's dad left for me. Dad, Uncle Izayoi, and Uncle Rex, you're all here?"

"Ah, yes. We wanted to speak to the twins' father this morning, so we all came." Rex Goodwin, the grey-haired Director of Neo Domino City Security Maintenance Bureau and once assistant to Yusei's father, replied smoothly. Yusei gave a small bow of respect towards Goodwin, and was about to take his leave when Izayoi Hideo, Senator of Neo Domino City, struggled to speak while trying to avoid the young man's eyes.

"Yusei-kun, about what happened three months ago… Please accept my apology." The Senator's face was averted from Yusei's direction. His hands clutched together, he appeared to be trying to say what he had to say before his courage ran out. "I hope that you'll forgive me, Yusei-kun. I know you keep saying it doesn't matter, but I feel that –"

Yusei turned his gaze to the elder man, and kept it there.

"Uncle Izayoi, I've accepted your apologies long ago." The young man tone changed very slightly, but the small wavering was caught by everyone in the room. "If what happened hurt me, then the pain you experienced must be ten times more than mine. You don't need to apologise to me, and there was never anything that you need me to forgive. Uncle Izayoi," Yusei bowed towards him, even deeper than the one he gave to Goodwin. "Please don't think I'm holding any grudge against you. It's not through your fault that what happened did happen." He straightened up, his long navy bangs covering his eyes. "I'm afraid I need to take my leave now. I still need to sort some things out with the Duelling Committee about the final match, and my D-Wheel needs a little tempering as well."

"It's alright, Yusei. Us adults have our business too." Goodwin answered softly. "And by the way, don't forget the party tonight."

"I won't. I'll be ready at 7 o'clock sharp."

After Yusei left and closed the door behind him, Rex Goodwin fixed his eyes on Izayoi Hideo with slight displeasure.

"Hideo, why did you bring that up? Neither you or Yusei need to be reminded of that again."

Izayoi Hideo shook his head. "Yusei-kun keeps saying he's fine, but I know he's not. I just wanted to apologise to him, yet he would never take it at all. He's changed… he's pushing people out of his life. If only he could stop saying it wasn't anybody's fault, maybe he can get over this quicker."

Professor Fudo sighed. "You're right, Izayoi-san. My son has changed in the past three months." He looked at Goodwin. "Rex, you think he guessed the topic of our discussion?"

Goodwin shook his head sadly. "With his brain, how can he not?"

-XXXXX-

In Yusei's jacket pocket, apart from the computer chip he picked up from Ruka and Rua's house, there was also a small, black velvet rose.

As he rode his red D-Wheel on the highways traversing Neo Domino City he was worried, more than ever before, that what was in his pocket might fall and be left on the road.

His destination was the mountains looming up behind Neo Domino. The road he took left the gleaming blue sea behind, and headed far away from the city centre. In here, half an hour's drive even with his D-Wheel's speed of 200 kilometres per hour, the population was so sparse that some wild, natural land could actually be seen.

And it is also only in here that something extremely traditional – or by some politician's standards, extremely luxurious and unnecessary – can be found: a burial ground, a cemetery.

Trees ruled this place. There were a few housing complexes here, sparsely populated, and one building especially for the caretaker. Apart from them, there were no other human presences. Some call this a return to nature, some call this undeveloped and uncivilised, but he came here every week, regardless of everything else. This was especially so as he sought out more and more of the pieces of this puzzle that tore at his heart. Riding his D-Wheel up the low hill, he arrived at a spot that he had already itched in his memory.

Turning off the engine and placing the helmet carefully onto the seat allowed Yusei to recollect himself a little. He squatted down in front of the white marble, his eyes downcast as he took out the rose from his pocket and laid it in front of the grave. A picture of the occupant of this little plot was inlaid into the stone; he couldn't look right into it even if he has his own thoughts about the truth behind all this.

"You're not in here, are you?" Yusei murmured as he placed a gloved hand on the marble.

"You're not in here. I don't believe it." Yusei's voice was soft, gentle, and resolute, as if he was speaking to a wayward child, a sad friend. In a way, she was indeed the wayward child he took upon himself to keep an eye on, a friend whose sadness he wished to console. Before the incident.

"I know your father very well, and he would never give you up so easily." His blue-eyes were fixed to the ground, unblinking, while he spoke as if to himself. "I've been searching for answers, but no one would give me any. There is something here that I don't know, something fishy." He took a deep breath. "Your father apologised to me again today. I want to believe it's not his fault… but then why is he so persistent about that, as if he really did something wrong, something that needs my forgiveness, something outside the scope of law?"

A soft breeze blew by, rustling the leaves above him. He remained unmoved. He was certainly lied to, but why? Why was this arranged? Did his father know? If he did, why didn't he tell his son? What had really happened? The hard polish stone gleamed in the filtered afternoon sunlight after his hand glided over it, as if reflecting his questions back to the inquirer. The photo on the gravestone just stared back at him passively out of a beautiful, cold face, with the long red fringe rolled up neatly in the silver hairpin as if it has been tied only a few moments ago. Beneath the picture, in elegant, curving font, were written the words: Izayoi Aki, Requistat In Pace.

"I'll find you, Aki." The King of Riding Duels softly proclaimed, as much to himself as it was to the gravestone. "I'll find you while you remain on this earth. Please, hang on."


	2. I 2: Party

**Chapter Two**

Night had already fallen when Yusei drove his D-Wheel into his own garage beneath his family's house. Although it was still summer, the days were already gradually shortening. After giving one quick look at the clock on the D-Wheel screen – it was 6 o'clock on the dot – he carefully turned it off and covered the machine up with a large cloth, tucked away his helmet, and went up the stairs to go inside his home.

The Fudo family had the privilege of having a real house in Neo Domino City, complete with a proper garden and upper stories. While it was nothing compared to Rex Goodwin's mansion, Yusei was content – he lived here his whole life. He remembers gazing out from the balcony into the blue sky as a child, chasing his friends up and down the grand wooden stairs during school summer breaks, secretly testing out his father's Duel Disk in the garden, and hammering away in the covered garage when he bent his entire will into creating a D-Wheel for himself. The cool interior of the house soon dispelled the lingering perspiration on his face, and Yusei was greeted by his mother's concerned voice from the kitchen.

"Yusei, you made it back just on time!"

"Sorry Mum, I spent quite some time at Saiga's place fixing my D-Wheel." Yusei replied rather apologetically. He really shouldn't be pushing his luck too far. He spent more time with Aki than he usually did, pondered about various things while lying on the grass beside the marble, covered by the dancing shadows of the dark-green oak leaves above. He would have dozed off had the alarm he set in his D-Wheel not gone off. The King literally rushed to Saiga's place for their arranged check-over for the D-Wheel and he had all but sprinted back home, just on time to make himself ready by 7 o'clock.

"I'm gonna take a shower, Mum." He yelled as he dashed into his room to grab his towel. "Don't worry about it, and Uncle Rex will send me back when the party is over."

He didn't spot any signs of his father being home even when he finished taking his shower and dressing himself up. It wasn't unusual. Even now, eighteen years after his momentous invention, Professor Fudo worked long hours with the Momentum machine. It pained Yusei to see his father's hair, once as raven-black as his son's, fade into grey and then to white. He understood his father's scientific passion for Momentum, but now that the machine was pretty much complete Yusei didn't see a reason for his father to stay on site for so long. Nonetheless, he was used to it. It actually came as a small surprise when his father stepped through the front door as Yusei gave a final tug to his tie.

"Hey, Yusei." His father nodded towards his son as he placed his briefcase down on the table. "Looking great as usual."

Yusei chuckled in embarrassment. "Dad, it's just another KaibaCorp function." He took a deep breath and gave one last look to his own figure in the mirror. Blue suit, black shirt and black tie: his standard attire for official functions. He'd have loved to wear his usual blue jacket and black sleeveless shirt. Sometimes it can be rather tiresome, being the King.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. His father came up to stand beside him.

"Yusei, I probably shouldn't be repeating this," his father's face wore the serious expression he reserved for important business, "but I had another meeting with the Senate. So if Senator Midorikawa comes up to you tonight –"

"I'll be fine, Dad." Yusei replied. "I won't sign his contract. I already made it clear to him."

Professor Fudo sighed. "I'm sorry to bring that up, then." He patted his son's back. "Go enjoy yourself tonight, son. This is the end-of-season party for the King after all." He checked the clock. "Rex's chauffer should be here any minute… Oh, there we go. A knock on the door as we speak."

Yusei nodded his parents goodbye as he walked out of his house and settled inside the car, absentmindedly running his hand over the leather seats while the vehicle slowly drove away. He had tried to ride his D-Wheel to the annual end-of-season party when he first took the champion's crown, only to be reprimanded by KaibaCorp. Another pity, really, especially as this means he wouldn't be able to leave the function whenever he wished.

Innumerable stars have peeked out from the evening clouds, sparkling faintly far above the high-rises like angels' inquiring eyes looking down with curiosity upon this glorious city. The round face of the moon glowed in the night sky, but the streetlamps were brighter. By the time the car had arrived at the party, traversing the web of highways spanning through the entire Neo Domino City, those celestial brilliances have been all but disappeared from Yusei's view.

"The King! It's the King!" He could imagine the rustle of journalists outside, waiting for celebrities to arrive, just with the sound seeping into the car's quiet interior. He stepped out, wincing against the glare of camera flash lights, sparing a few customary nods to some guests whom he was acquainted with. As he walked briskly past the row of reporters lining up in the entrance hall he caught a familiar figure waving eagerly at him further back within the main hall. Yusei quickly moved up, glad to be out of the suffocating white flares the other reporters were showering upon him.

"Carly!"

"King!"

A wide grin under her coke-bottle glasses made her appearances even more childish and unsophisticated. Clad in a simple white dress with her long black hair left to fall unadorned down her shoulders, the girl in front of him almost jolted in delight. Hugging her camera tightly, Carly beamed towards Yusei when he stopped in front of her.

"I told you, you don't need to call me King, Carly."

"Sorry." The blush was quick to climb up her cheeks. "Everyone else… calls you that…"

"King…? What are you doing here?"

Yusei and Carly's conversation stopped abruptly. The two of them turned towards a hesitant, cautious voice that sounded behind Yusei.

"Mikage-san?" The young woman who had spoken bowed reverently when Yusei addressed her. Despite the occasion, she was dressed in her daily attire of blue suit jacket and skirt. When she looked up again, her bronze eyes focused concernedly on Yusei.

"King, it's almost the time for you to address the guests. For you to loiter here with reporters, in public view…"

Carly lowered her head. Yusei sighed. Mikage took in his displeased countenance.

"I'm sorry to have spoken in such a way… but as your assistant, King, I cannot allow your public imaged to be marred. Please forgive me."

"It's alright, Mikage-san." Yusei waved his hand in the air to signal that he understood. Sagiri Mikage, the assistant that Goodwin had assigned to him, was sharp and efficient as always, never wavering from what she knew as should be done. However he may dislike the motion, Yusei had to admit that what she spoke of was the truth. He shouldn't be dallying here with Carly.

"I guess I'll be heading off then, Carly. Enjoy your night."

"Um… you too, Yusei." The young reporter waved him goodbye, then stood watching Yusei's back as he walked deeper into the hall and up the stairs with Mikage. Her gaze was not missed by the blue-haired young assistant.

"King," Mikage's eyes were fixed on Carly as she and Yusei headed towards the balcony in the second floor where he was to address the guests, "what's Nagisa Carly doing here?"

Yusei glanced at her. "She's a reporter, Mikage-san."

Mikage bit her lip, which did not escape Yusei's eyes. He stopped mid-stride. Caught off guard, Mikage stopped unsteadily beside him.

"Mikage-san", Yusei's voice was even, his eyes focused on the other end of the corridor, "you've known me for three years now, and I've never hidden much from you. As for Carly and I… there's nothing for you to worry about."

"That… that's not what I mean!" As if having a replay of Carly's behaviour moments before, Mikage's face rapidly went pink. Aware of this, the young woman quickly put turned around, putting Yusei behind her. "No matter what… Nagisa Carly is still the reporter who was in charge of Izayoi-san's case three months ago. I was simply afraid that," she sighed softly, "afraid that it'll bring back bad memories when you're with her, King."

"It wasn't Carly's fault." Yusei walked to the balustrade side of the corridor, overlooking down at the main hall where Carly's long black hair was clearly visible. "She was simply assigned to report that case. She didn't choose to do what she did."

"King…" Mikage muttered, turning around, but Yusei had set his eyes firmly on the hall down below. She walked up beside him.

"King… Please, Izayoi-san's already gone. I'm sure she wouldn't want you to keep on grieving like this."

Yusei simply turned and continued walking towards their original destination. Mikage clutched her hands into fists.

He was suffering. The King was suffering, but he wasn't allowing anyone near. Not his parents, not his friends, and not even her, his assistant. For one moment Mikage wondered wildly if he should probably take a break from duelling, but immediately realised that as the summer season was over there won't be any regular duels for a while.

"But… in this state of mind… should he still be attending frivolities such as this?" Mikage murmured to herself. She knew that Yusei never liked formalities, even less so when it comes to those parties that KaibaCorp frequently held. Yusei isn't born to be caged in like this.

"Maybe that's why… he likes Izayoi-san." Mikage's fingers gripped the balustrade. "She was different, she wasn't caged. However, couldn't he see that she's not normal, either…?"

Taking a deep breath, Mikage looked up from her thoughts just in time to catch a visible stir in the crowds packed down below.

"Speaking of Izayoi-san…"

She narrowed her bronze eyes in irritation when she saw the newcomer that was being greeted by the eager politicians and journalists around the main door.

That woman, clad in a rich crimson gown, with a thin smile on that month beneath her slanted blue eyes and sporting another head of flowing raven black hair – Mikage gritted her teeth. Yusei should never have come to this party. This new guest is able to bring even more pain to the already scarred King.

-XXXXX-

"– And as such, I welcome you as the King of Neo Domino City. With the end of one more season, we look forward to even more greatness in the forthcoming year, and we sincerely thank you on the constant support that you've always given us. Now, please, enjoy tonight's festivities and celebrations!"

Rex Goodwin, dressed immaculately in white as always, clapped heartily with everyone else at the speech the youth had just smoothly finished. Yusei knew how to stir up people's hearts, with that confident and gentle tone of his and his steadfast mannerism. With one last wave, the said young man left the podium he was addressing the guests from, and walked towards Goodwin.

"Uncle Goodwin, is everything fine?"

"There's nothing for you to worry about." Goodwin smiled, and patted Yusei's shoulder. He'd know Yusei since the day the blue-eyed boy was born. Being the son of Professor Fudo, the creator of the eternal machine that granted Neo Domino City it's never failing power, Yusei had naturally grown into a child that knew all the important people in the City. Goodwin isn't the only one in the older generation that watched Yusei grew up; various Senators, businessmen, and scientists were all frequent guests at the Fudo house. These included Ruka and Rua's parents, and Izayoi Hideo…

"King," a melodious voice interrupted his reminiscences, "please accept my congratulations on having once again defended your crown."

"Misty-san…"

Goodwin let go of Yusei. The King of Riding Duel merely turned slightly to address Misty.

"Misty-san, thank you, and it's my pleasure to have you here tonight."

Misty returned a graceful smile. As the world's top model, Misty Lola rarely has the time or occasion to return to her hometown. Tonight, in her resplendent crimson gown, the tall young woman looked like she was positively glowing with elegance and refinement. It was indeed a pleasure to have her back at Neo Domino.

But Goodwin still frowned, if infinitesimally. Nonetheless, common decorum states that he's not one to interfere between these two.

"Well, then, if you may excuse me, Yusei, Misty-san, I'll ne attending to other businesses for tonight."

The other two both gave an easy nod at Goodwin and watched him leave. After the Director's departure, it was Misty who first broke the silence.

"Yusei-kun, it's good to see that you're alright."

"Me too." Yusei paused for a while. "How have you been, Misty-san? Busy as usual?"

Misty gave a forced laugh. "Yes, busy as usual, Yusei-kun. Although neither of us are really alright. You know that."

Yusei fell silent.

"But I need to come back here to thank you," Misty went on after a short pause. "Thank you for arranging Toby's memorial for me. I'm sorry that I couldn't get back in time to do so myself."

"I'm glad to have been of help," Yusei replied evenly. "Your grief must have been unimaginable."

Misty shook her head. "Yusei-kun… Life goes on, and justice has been dealt out. I hope you will one day overcome your grief too."

Yusei let out a slow breath. "I'm fine, Misty-san. There's no need to worry about me."

-XXXXX-

"Oooh, do you see that, Carly? It's the King, with Misty!"

Carly was quietly sipping away at her orange juice and enjoying some rest at last when her personal space was abruptly intruded by a head of blonde hair.

"An… Angela! What are you doing?"

"So Stuttering Carly still hasn't gotten rid of that habit. Just like back in high school, and all the way through journalist collage." The newcomer glanced mischievously at the dark-haired girl with her green eyes. With a flourish of her long blonde hair, she looked Carly over from head to toe.

"You still haven't changed your weird taste in clothes either. Seriously, when are you going to start acting like a proper reporter?"

Carly gritted her teeth. Angela was with her through high school, journalist collage, and has now obtained a job for herself as a journalist too. Beautiful, confident, driven, Angela was everything Carly was not, and as luck have it she now works for Carly's rival publication. They never really disliked each other either, though. Despite the constant banter, and although she would never admit it, Angela looked out for Carly. Carly always tolerated Angela's light mockery with good humour, too.

The blonde girl dug up her camera from her bag. "I thought I'd come over and see if you noticed that and would like to take a picture of the King and Misty over there for the news tomorrow. I know you have a special interest in the King, so I didn't want to miss out."

"Thanks Angela, but I'll pass." Carly gripped her camera tightly. The King would never willingly talk to Misty; Carly knew that better than everyone else, and it's precisely because she had the chance to know Yusei better than most reporters in Neo Domino. She watched Yusei and Misty talking further away in the hall, all the time feeling a bitter taste in her mouth, something that even the residue of the orange juice couldn't cover.

"I didn't know he'd even go near Misty…" She muttered to herself in a low voice.

Angela gave Carly a look. "I know what you mean." Finished, she placed her camera back in her bag. "I didn't think so either. But Carly, the King surely has an image to upkeep. Izayoi's relation with him wasn't reported and she had little sympathy in the City anyways, so it wouldn't make sense for the King to completely ignore a guest as famous as Misty."

"He wasn't like that at all three years ago…" Carly sounded petulant even to herself.

Angela waved her hand in the air in a gesture of dismissal. "Whatever mould his parents may have brought to the world, the world will certainly re-mould the person to suit itself. Don't tell me you don't know that, Carly."

Carly was about to rebuke this, but Angela started rummaging in her bag. "Oh dear, it's my phone. I'll be right back, Carly." She quickly ran off to a quieter part of the room to answer the call, leaving Carly alone to one side.

The bespectacled girl gave a small sigh. She'd known Yusei for three years, from the time when he first entered the duelling scene and swiftly took the champion's crown. That young boy back then didn't really care about all the formalities. He was just Fudo Yusei, not yet the King, and he hadn't realised what kind of attention he'll be getting. But everything was alright until three months ago, until that case… that case which Carly herself was in charge of reporting…

When Izayoi Aki's sentence was read out, just for a moment, Carly had felt unreasonably guilty. And now, seeing Yusei talking with Misty, all the while knowing how much it must pain him to do so, the guilt returned. She turned her back to the direction he was at, and fixed her eyes on the ground beside her feet.

"Carly…"

She turned around so fast when he spoke, she was sure her hair made an audible whoosh. Yusei was standing right behind her, his brows lightly but undeniably furrowed, lines of irritation and anger making their mark on his smooth forehead. His breathing was a little too quick, a little too shallow, a little too agitated. Carly peeked over his shoulder to see Misty looking over at their direction with a concerned glance.

"Carly, can you get me out of here?"

"Wha… what? What's wrong? Kin – Yusei, I can't – "

"Please, I need to get out of here." Yusei's jaw tightened in resolution. "You drove here in your car, didn't you? I don't need to make any more appearances tonight, and I'll handle things on Goodwin's side."

"O – Okay." Carly didn't know what else she could have said. She didn't exactly have a choice.

"Let's go then."

Fudo Yusei literally rushed towards the door. Carly stood her ground for a while longer, unsure about whatever may have happened, although she could make a safe guess. She also needed a few moments to steady herself. The blush on her cheeks and her sudden quick heartbeat needed no guesses to discern what they may mean.

-XXXXX-

Carly had many excuses about why she can't drive for him. Her car is too old and crappy, her driving is too dangerous… Yusei dismissed them all. He knew they were just excuses. Carly was simply startled by the fact that the King had asked to be alone with her. Yusei ran a hand through his dark hair in irritation at the mere thought.

"Yu – Yusei? Are you alright?"

Carly's wavering, uncertain voice spoke softly beside him. She gave a quick look at him and then turned her eyes rapidly back on the road and went back to driving diligently. It has been a while since they left the party. When Carly asked him where he'd like to go, Yusei had muttered that anywhere would be fine. Therefore, they've been wondering aimlessly on the innumerable highways that crisscrossed Neo Domino City, their small yellow car following along the endless grey stretches of concrete and bitumen like a fallen flower petal caught in the wind.

"Carly, would you mind stopping here?"

"Huh? No, not at all."

Before he realised it, they had arrived at the sea. Emerging from the stopped car they were greeted with the endless waves that made up one entire side of Neo Domino city and the waters, shimmering with an unworldly shade of the darkest blue in this night of the full moon, lapped away at the rocks below them with a lullaby that had been sung for the people of this land since time uncountable. Yusei and Carly stood themselves on the pavement that lined the seaside drive. The light breeze stirred at the edges of their clothes, played with the end of their hair, and brought with it the faintest traces of the city's sparkling and lively interior to the dim seashore.

There were no streetlights on this stretch of the sea, no tall lamps to illuminate this surreal scene. It wasn't surprising. They had stopped at the more industrious part of the seaside, the part where very few people would frequent after sunset. The only thing that lit up the world around them was the white, piercing light of the moon, casting crisp and unforgiving shadows into the ground.

"It's a beautiful night."

Carly turned. Yusei was gazing out towards the sea, silent after his remark.

"Yusei… please, what's bothering you?"

He didn't reply for a long while. Finally he said, "I wonder what she'd be doing right now."

Carly frowned, although she tried her best to hide it. It's Izayoi Aki again. Always Izayoi Aki. Even three months of intensive tournament duelling couldn't take his mind off that woman.

"Yusei –"

"Carly, would you listen to my thoughts?" Yusei stated evenly, keeping his face towards the sea.

She bit her lip and nodded. She guessed it would be best for him to untangle this thread from the beginning.

"I've known Aki for as long as I can remember, Carly. Aki and I grew up together. I was the one who first taught her about Duel Monsters. She was my first opponent, on her parent's dining table with my first deck split in half. During my childhood, there was not one week that I spent without seeing her."

"Aki was never a normal child, admittedly. She demanded what she wanted, and it really made her upset if things didn't go her way. She didn't get very popular among the children in our social circle; I was probably her first and only friend. But it was alright. We were still children. Uncle Izayoi was convinced that she would be fine as she grows up. We didn't mind the way she was, we didn't see anything wrong with her."

"But then Aki showed us what was truly inside her. She came into possession of her power, her psychic duelling power."

"Psychic duelling power," Carly muttered after him. Even after researching extensively into this, as if the words themselves held some magic, she still found a chill running down her spine whenever she heard this term spoken.

Yusei nodded. "Yes. She had that extraordinary power, the ability to turn duelling holograms into real, solid beings. A power to create living creatures from cyber data, creatures that could run, fly, and destroy. She unleashed it accidentally on her father. The Izayois were terrified. Her father... called her a monster."

"It started going downhill from there. In this world, in our city, not being able to duel is unimaginable. Young children spend all their free time duelling each other with their Duel Disks, and Aki was no exception. Uncle Izayoi hoped that her power would go away and she may enjoy a proper life in her teenage years. It didn't work out. Instead, she started growing into the ability that she possessed. She terrified her fellow classmates with her real monsters the same way she terrified all of us. She was frequently expelled. As a result, Aki drifted through numerous schools, never making friends, never holding on to anything."

"Uncle Izayoi literally pushed her into Duel Academy when she was old enough. He hoped that the elite and experienced teachers there would somehow find a way to help Aki. She did brilliantly in the Academy, scoring top of the year. She tried not to touch a Duel Disk, but that wouldn't do during the practical examination. Taking out of her Duel Disk meant reawakening that power, but she did it. She couldn't stand being laughed at, couldn't stand forfeiting the practical exam."

"So… she duelled?" Carly asked softly.

"Nothing good came of that." Yusei went on with a low voice. "She was living in the dormitory instead of her house, which only made it worse."

"What happened?"

"After a lot of diplomacy, somehow she ended up staying at the Academy." Yusei sighed. "I don't know much about what happened. I didn't stay at home either around that time."

Carly nodded understandingly. Yusei was a genius. He accelerated through high school and did university-level studies while other kids his age were still labouring through junior high. During that time, when Izayoi Aki first got into Duel Academy, he should have been studying hard. It was reasonable that he didn't know what was happening to her.

"Three years ago, when I came back to my family's circle, built my D-Wheel, and decided to join the professional duelling scene, I realised she was very much changed. Her intellect was undeniably amazing; she scored top every single year at the Academy. Although, that must have made it more of a nightmare. She was the best duelist, but no one would duel her. She was the one who provided model answers for the teachers, but none of them adored her. The only greeting she gave me was a dispassionate glance when I saw her. Even more so than before, her power had become the only thing that guarded and protected her, the only weapon that she could use to carve out her own place in the world. I knew then that she had decided to rebel against the world, against all of us. She was called a monster, so she had set out to become one, out of whether spite or despair I couldn't be sure."

"Her father had given up trying to control her power. Before anyone realised it, her deck had become the only thing that was important to her, her cards the only thing that she treasured and hated, her Duel Disk her only sword and shield. I had thought that perhaps she had found a way to manage her power too…" Yusei shook his head slowly. "But I was wrong."

Carly bowed her head.

"That incident three months ago. A group of rich kids got it into their heads that they should force Izayoi, top scholar but barely ever a duelist, into duelling them for real. They provoked her, they enraged her. They didn't know that Aki's power depended on her mood. The more anger she has boiling in her heart, the stronger her power grows, until it's strong enough to kill."

"And it just happened to be that Misty's brother… ended up being Izayoi Aki's opponent," Carly softly continued this narrative that she knew only too well. "Toby didn't mean to make her so angry. It was his classmates who cheered on. Everyone thought it was just going to be a normal duel…"

"They should have stopped while they could," Yusei gritted his teeth. "Then no one would have died. Toby would still be here, and Aki wouldn't have gotten the –" He swallowed.

"Death sentence." Carly quietly finished for him.

Yusei curled his hands into fists. "Yes," he breathed, "she would never have gotten the death sentence."

Carly took in a trembling breath. "Yusei… I'm so sorry…"

"I don't believe she's dead."

Carly's eyes opened wide in shock.

"I've gathered some evidence," Yusei continued in a low voice. "It's nothing concrete, just some records in the detention centre, some conversations the Izayois held, some money movements in their bank accounts… it simply didn't seem right."

Carly was dumbstruck, but not because of Yusei's conclusion. Detention centre records were fine, overheard conversations were acceptable – but bank accounts?

"Yusei, don't tell me that you hacked into –"

"I think I have an idea where she might be."

Yusei drew himself up to his full height and focused his gaze all the way across the sea. Carly took in a shallow gasp as she realised where he meant.

"Satellite…?"

He nodded. "Yes. Satellite."

"Yusei… is there truly a need for you to go to such lengths?" Carly couldn't help but ask that. He is the King, after all. She can't imagine what would happen if he was found out.

"Carly." He sighed, and turned to look at her. "I only realised how much I miss her when she's gone. For eighteen years, I took it for granted that Aki would be in my life. She was far more than a friend to me… and I wouldn't be able to forget her until I'm sure she's left this earth."

Carly lowered her head and was silent.

Yusei bit his lip as he looked at Carly, whose shoulders were suddenly slumped in dejection. He didn't mean to hurt her, but she needed to know the truth. Even now, after everything, he couldn't deny his feelings for Aki. He loved, and still loves, Aki.

Her memories pursued him by day, haunted him by night. Driven by the little things that he began to notice around him, he couldn't help but spend every moment possible in the past three months trying to find Aki's whereabouts. He had poured himself into the task, vowing that he wouldn't stop until he arrived at a definite answer. But during his search he had deliberately avoided – nah, scratch that – he had dreaded the one question that he would inevitably have to answer.

What would he do once he finds her?

She was a criminal. She had killed a child.

And if she was indeed still alive, then she had also escaped the punishment of law.

He loves her, but what she had done is unforgivable.

Deep in his thoughts, the sudden loud crash that sounded further down the seaside drive startled Yusei. Carly also jumped beside him. Looking over, Yusei saw that it came from a fenced building crowned by the Security logo. It was a building that he had secretly itched into his mind during his search.

"The underground pipeline entrance that connects the City with Satellite!" He breathed, and acting without thinking he began running towards it. Carly, with the sharp instincts of a reporter and a longing to take her mind off the current issue, following right behind him.

A peculiar sight greeted them when they arrived. It was evident that someone had driven out of the pipeline entrance, cleared the empty concrete-paved space between the gate and the fence with one leap of his vehicle, and landed squarely on the driveway outside. Someone had successfully escaped Satellite, that desolate and despised district of Neo Domino inhabited only by labourers, outlaws, or anyone with the ill fortune to be born there.

The person who had accomplished this great feat was lying unconscious on the ground beside Yusei's and Carly's feet. The D-Wheel that Yusei surmised he had ridden – a monstrous silver contraption with a giant single wheel spanning the entirety of the machine, encircling the driver's seat within – was tilted over and lying to the side. Small rivulets of blood were running down the recumbent man's cheeks, staining his blond hair black in the moonlight. Cracks were showing on his blue helmet, and the white riding suit that he wore bore sooty scorch marks. The red blisters on his chin confirmed that he had ridden through fire.

"Was the pipeline… on fire…?" Carly wondered idly.

Yusei gingerly bent down. He knelt beside the man and tried to see how bad his injuries were.

"Black… Witch…"

Yusei took in a sharp breath. The man had abruptly opened his eyes. Those violet irises were clouded, the mind behind them having yet to regain a sense of reality. Yusei doubted that the man knew what he was talking about. Sure enough, he almost immediately closed his eyes again and lost consciousness. Yusei blinked, unsure of what to make of the man's words.

"Yusei," Carly had come to kneel beside Yusei. Her mouth was hanging open in an expression of surprise. "Do… do know you who he is?"

Yusei looked at her. "No… should I?"

Carly reached out to lift the man's helmet up a little bit. Yusei glimpsed two distinct earrings, each looking like a capital letter A.

"I do." Carly whispered. "No mistake. He's Jack Atlus."


	3. I 3: Renegade

**Chapter Three**

That must be a dream.

Those flames, those unholy, improbable fires, wrapping themselves around him and his D-Wheel, caging him in those chains of inferno. He had screamed, he had cursed, he had whimpered, but the fire drowned out all.

Where was he? Was it really a dream, and he was in fact just dozing off, slumped on the stately chair inside the caved-in theatre he had claimed as his audience room? If he opened his eyes, would he see once again that yellowish moon hanging in the sky above, having been stained by the unwholesome vapours rising out of the chemical plants in the heart of Satellite?

There was someone speaking very close to him. Hovering between sleep and wakefulness, he caught a few broken words filtering through his foggy mind.

"Ushio, what… you think?"

"It's obv… escaped… intact… find he was th… deck…"

Deck.

Jack Atlus's purple eyes fluttered open. His hands tightened into fists, he tried to feel his deck that he assumed was still in his hands. Digging his elbows into the bed he was laying on, he tried to raise himself up.

What greeted him was excruciating pain. The skin on the back of his hands felt they would split open, his arms were weak and wobbled. A residue, throbbing pain lodged itself firmly in his chest. Caught unawares, he gasped out loud, and fell back down onto the mattress with an audible thump.

Others in the room, those two men standing near the window with their backs to him, turned around quickly at the sound. The taller one made to dash towards Jack, but the shorter one put a restraining hand on his companion's shoulder.

"Ushio. Leave him with me."

The voice that spoke was even, soft, but nonetheless carrying with it a steely hint of decisiveness. The taller figure didn't need to be told twice. He gave one more look at the shorter man, nodded briefly, then crossed room and exited. The automatic doors closed after him.

The one remaining walked up to Jack's bed. Jack scrutinised him wearily as he approached. A messy head of raven-black hair, streaked with gold, stood on top of a young, resolute face. A pair of blue eyes gleamed from beneath his long black fringe. Even when dressed in a reserved and composed suit, Jack could tell that the man standing next to his bed harboured a great force to be reckoned with. He was not tall, he was not overly well-built, but the Satellite resident could feel a tangible aura of command emanating into the air. Staring up into those blue eyes that were now fixed unblinkingly on him, Jack Atlus swallowed.

"Are you from Satellite?" The other man broke the silence.

Jack's only answer was a brisk nod and a growl. He had gathered from his surroundings that he was indeed already in the City, a place physically so close to Satellite and yet politically so far away. He was from Satellite; Jack wasn't going to deny it. He couldn't deny it even if he wanted to. It didn't matter if he answered his interrogator's questions well or not. Regardless of the outcome, he would be regarded as a criminal, Marked and sent to detention centres. That's the inevitable punishment of a Satellite resident who crossed the border and entered the City without authorisation.

Well, earlier tonight, Jack figured it's better to be imprisoned than to lose his life.

The other man took something out of his pocket and placed it on the little table beside Jack's bed. "In case that you're worried, this is your deck, completely intact. It's quite a good one, Jack Atlus."

Jack scowled.

"How did you know my name?" His own deep voice sounded almost brutal after the other man's soft intonations.

The blue-eyed man chortled. "I didn't, but one of my reporter friends did." As he spoke, he knelt down to the level of Jack's face on the bed. "You are the man they call the King of Satellite, the leader of all the most powerful duel gangs over there. Jack Atlus, am I correct?"

Jack stared at the other man. His mind was slowly recovering, his thoughts returning to its proper speed. When his own amethyst eyes connected with the other man's sapphire gaze again, a realisation suddenly struck him.

The blond man's eyes opened wide in shock. "Wait. You're Fudo – !"

The black-haired man nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm Fudo Yusei, the King of the City."

-XXXXX-

Carly stood up hastily when he saw Ushio walking out of Jack's hospital room. She had driven the King here after the two of them called up Ushio, who arrived with a Security truck to deal with Jack and his D-Wheel. Yawning a little, Ushio nodded towards her.

"Nice catch, Carly. Didn't think you'd be able to recognise Jack Atlus."

Carly beamed a smile at the tall, tanned Security officer. "I've done some coverage on Satellite. I know what the King of Satellite looks like."

"Yeah." Ushio sighed and turned to look at the room that he left with a thoughtful gaze. Carly knew what he was thinking. There seemed to be no reason for the King of the City to be meddling with such a scum.

"Carly," Ushio spoke slowly, "do you know what Yusei's up to with Jack?"

Carly was silent. She didn't want to tell Ushio what Yusei was doing in her pursuit of Aki, even if Ushio was someone who had literally grew up with the King. A few years older than Yusei, Ushio was one of the few people outside of his social circle Yusei knew as a child. The two had met during one of young Yusei's naughty excursions out of Tops, and they stayed in contact even after Yusei went through his education and Ushio became a Security officer on the rise. Ushio knew far more about Yusei and Aki than Carly, yet as a policeman Carly doubted he'd approve of Yusei's recent actions. She decided to keep quiet until a better time.

'I don't," she replied.

Ushio snorted, and turned back. "Why are you out with Yusei tonight anyways, Carly? Shouldn't he be in that party with Mikage-san and everyone else?"

"Oh. Long story." Carly was dreaded to be asked that. She knew it'd be better if Yusei explained to Ushio in person, so she left the issue as it is and changed tack. "So you were hoping to see Mikage-san instead of me when Yusei called you?"

He put up his best rough and surly look. "O – of course not!"

Carly grinned. It was pretty obvious to everyone that Ushio was having feelings for Sagiri Mikage.

"Tch. Not like she'd fall for me even if I do have the heart," crossing his arms, Ushio sighed. "You know that all she can see is Yusei." He slumped down on the benches that lined the hospital corridor. "Sometimes it is good to be the King."

Carly sank down beside the big Security officer. She could understand.

-XXXXX-

Jack glared at Yusei. Out of all the possibilities that he had imagined, this was the last person he had thought would welcome him into Neo Domino City.

"Surprised, Jack Atlus?" Yusei wasn't going to cut him any slack. This blond man is a criminal, a thug, an outlaw that was prepared to do anything to obtain what he wanted, and Yusei planned to treat him just as such.

Jack spat. "Surprised? Definitely." Mockery seeped into his voice. "I never knew that my fame got the King of Riding Duels to personally greet me as soon as I'm in the City."

Yusei growled.

Jack gingerly put his weight onto his hands and worked himself into a sitting position. Bandages covered his skin and moving still caused a small tinge, although not as bad as when he suddenly tried to get up moments before. Yusei stood up straight too. He had left Jack's deck on the bedside table. Jack snatched it back.

"So you're a D-Wheeler, Jack Atlus?" Yusei's eyes didn't leave Jack as the latter quickly went through his deck.

"Don't think that the City is the only place with D-Wheels, Yusei." Yusei frowned at Jack's casual and rude use of his first name. Jack liked that annoyed expression on the King's face.

"And where do you get them? Theft?"

"Hmpf. As if. We have people building them too." Jack cast a quick, guarded glance at Yusei. Not that he expected the King's attitude towards Satellite to be any different.

"Cut to the point, Yusei. What are you doing holding me up here? Shouldn't you be sending me to the Security as quickly as you can?"

The King took in a slow breath. "Show me your right arm."

"… What?"

Had he heard that correctly?

Jack shirked back his arm instinctively. Not many people knew about the birthmark that's been on his right arm for as long as the blond man could remember. The King of Riding Duels is definitely not someone he'd expect to know about it.

"What's wrong Jack? What's with your right arm?"

Jack glared at the other man. "Why do you want to see it?"

Yusei sighed. His patience was wearing thin. He was beginning to find this Satellite renegade more irritating by the second. "Give it up. I saw that red mark on it when I got you into the hospital."

Jack grinded his teeth and reluctantly rolled up his right sleeve.

Yusei fixed his gaze on it. There was no doubt about it; it was definitely very similar to another shape, a shape that he remembers quite well. The reddish, crimson lines on Jack's arm was of a V-shape with small spikes coming off the two arms of the V, a formation that Yusei involuntarily thought of as a pair of feathery wings. The rigid straight lines that made up the mark were just like that other shape that Yusei knew, that shape on Aki's right arm, a shape that looked distinctively like a claw.

Yusei shook his head slightly. There was no way that Aki and Jack Atlus would be related. The senator's daughter would have nothing to do with Satellite lowlifes such as him.

"You've had a good enough look?" The said lowlife growled.

Yusei gave a small nod. Jack quickly rolled his sleeves back down, covering it once again.

"You're not comfortable with it, Jack Atlus?" Yusei queried.

"That's not your problem." Jack grumbled a reply. No, he was not comfortable with it. He never was. The birthmark gave him an eerie feeling. It was as if those dark blood-shaded lines try to draw him in whenever he looked at it for too long, try to tell him some obscure message when he traced his hands over it for too long. By the time that he joined the Satellite duel gangs as a youngster, Jack had already started wearing elbow-length gloves to hide that red birthmark.

Yusei watched that brief discomfort flit past Jack's face. Aki disliked her mark too, but for a different reason. He needs to question Jack.

"How long have you had that mark for, Jack Atlus?"

"It's a birthmark. I've had it ever since I was born."

Yusei frowned.

"Then have you ever experienced anything strange when you're duelling?"

"What do you mean, 'strange'?"

"For example… hints that you may have the powers of a psychic duelist?"

Jack raised his eyebrows, trying not to show his surprise. Every duelist has heard of those people with the ability to turn digital holographic projections into real existences, and most people thanked their stars that they never met such a person. What would the King mean, blurting it out like this?

"Of course not. I'm not a psychic duelist. What are you implying, Yusei? That this birthmark of mine is somehow linked to the power of those demons?"

Yusei's eyes flashed suddenly in anger. Jack instinctively stopped himself from continuing.

"Don't." Yusei's words came out as a hiss. "Say. That."

Jack's careless words brought back mountains of memories. Aki's reddish mark appeared on her arm the day that her power was first unleashed, and she had always related her powers with that mark, calling it wretched, cursed, devilish. And the way she was treated by other duelists… the way they had all called her a monster… Yusei never allowed anyone to call her that in front of his face, least of all this lowlife from Satellite.

Jack was staring intently back at him. Yusei took in a deep breath to calm himself.

"Then, Jack Atlus," he said slowly, "have you ever heard of… or met someone else who has a birthmark similar to your own?"

"… if you let me stay in the City, then I'll tell you."

Those words came out quickly from Jack's mouth. Blackmail's nothing new with Jack Atlus. He know very well that he could be on his way to one of those detention centres infamous for their treatment of Satellite residents at first light tomorrow morning, but from what Yusei has been saying the King of Satellite could tell that his birthmark, that red figure on his arm, means a lot to the other man. Means enough that he had prevented Security from locking Jack up straight away.

He's going to exploit it to his fullest advantage. If Yusei was willing to break one rule for that birthmark, Jack wouldn't mind tempting him to break another.

The blond man kept his eyes on Yusei as the latter became visibly troubled before him. However, Yusei quickly regained his composure and glared back at the Satellite resident. Blue pupils and purple irises momentarily locked their sights upon each other, one pair brimming with profound enmity, one pair veiled with resolved determination.

Pulling himself to his full height, Yusei ended this infuriating staring match.

"I'll leave you to recover, Jack Atlus."

Jack didn't reply to that. Without a further word Yusei left the room, leaving Jack alone in the darkness. Jack shut his eyes and fell back to the bed. He wanted to sleep. Regardless of the result of the bold stunt he pulled on Yusei, he still has possession of this hospital for the night. He might as well get some good quality sleep while he can still manage it.

-XXXXX-

"… Yusei?"

The blue-eyed youth took a deep sigh as he walked out of Jack Atlus's room. He placed his fist on the wall and leaned against it dejectedly.

Carly and Ushio stood up concernedly. Carly started to walk towards Yusei, but Ushio stopped her with a look.

"So, Yusei, is this about Izayoi?"

Carly gasped at this abrupt question, and Yusei lifted up his head, alarmed. There was a brief silence, in which Ushio kept his irritated eyes on Yusei. Carly bit her lip, unsure of whether Yusei will admit to his intentions or not.

Although, what could a Satellite gangster possible have to do with the daughter of a Senator?

"Yes," at last, Yusei's steady voice broke the quietness as he pushed himself off the wall. "This is about Aki."

"I knew it." Ushio frowned. "There isn't another thing that'd get you so involved nowadays."

The Security officer's dark eyebrows tied into a knot as he advanced towards Yusei. Carly, concerned, followed behind.

"So let me get this straight. You prevented me from arresting that Satellite punk just so you can ask him something about your dead girlfriend?" Ushio stopped in front of Yusei, towering over the younger man, his frown getting darker all the time. "What's going on here, Yusei? Izayoi's already gone."

"I –" Yusei tilted his head just a little to the side, as if he was hiding from the sharp look his long-time friend was giving him. "No… listen, Ushio, I don't believe Aki is dead."

Ushio gave a dry laugh. "So the rumours floating around in the Security headquarters are true after all. You really don't believe Izayoi to be dead, and you're seriously going to search for her?"

"Ushio," Yusei stood his ground as he stared straight back at the other's face, "you know what I think about Aki. I didn't mean to breach of the Security Office's authority when I brought Jack Atlus in. I simply wanted –"

"Wanted what?" Ushio interrupted Yusei. "We grew up together, Yusei. I know how your head works, which is exactly why I don't understand you. Putting aside whether she's actually alive or not, if you really cared about Izayoi as much as you do now, what did you do back during her trial? You did nothing. Why didn't you testify for her back then, when we all know that you could?"

"Ushio, that's enough!" Carly rushed up to Yusei's defence. She knew what he was getting at. There was a time when the court wavered upon its decision on Izayoi Aki, wondering whether or not she was able to control her power at all. They had suggested Yusei to testify concerning this. If he could prove that Aki cannot control her ability and had no other choice, then her sentence may have been reduced.

But he didn't do that. He walked away from that chance to save her.

"You didn't defend Izayoi." Ushio ignored Carly. "You didn't defend her when she's alive, and now you're running all over the place for her. Tell me, Yusei, what are you planning? What is it that you're hiding?"

"I'm hiding nothing!" Yusei spit back at Ushio, barely controlling his irritation. "If you're so upset about Jack, then go ahead and lock him up!"

"You're missing the point." Ushio pointed his finger at Yusei, annoyed.

Yusei swatted Ushio's hand away. He knew he shouldn't be getting worked up over what Ushio's words, but he's had about enough bad encounters for one night. Firstly Misty, then Jack, and now Ushio. He needed to get out of here and calm down by himself.

He started to walk briskly away, but Ushio wasn't in a good mood either. He called back at Yusei's receding figure.

"Since you brought up Jack Atlus, then how about him? Would you like to take responsibility for him and find somewhere for him to stay?"

Jack's duress returned to Yusei's head together with a rush of hot blood. "I don't want anything to do with him!"

"But Yusei –" Carly made to speak.

"For God's sake, if you care about him so much, take him home yourself!"

With that final declaration of anger, Yusei disappeared down the stairway, his heavy and quick steps echoing behind. Carly was left rooted to the spot, surprised by Yusei's sudden rage. Ushio sighed and slumped his shoulders. He came up next to Carly.

"My guess is that Jack pushed our King over the edge. Don't take it to heart, Carly. He didn't mean it."

Carly gave a small nod. Ushio crossed his arm in front of his chest.

"Excuse me for saying this," the Security officer contemplated in a low voice, "but I don't think Yusei ever really understood Izayoi."

"Oh?" Carly turned questioningly to him.

"Despite their time together, he really couldn't see into her." Ushio shook his head reproachfully. "I don't think he knows what he's doing at the moment. He's just letting his emotions get the better of him. I don't like it when Yusei starts to lose his head."

"I hope he finds her quickly." Feeling even sadder for Yusei, Carly muttered.

"Do you?" Ushio shot a look at her. "Do you think he knows why he's even searching for her? Remember, Izayoi is legally dead. Even Yusei cannot do anything to change that."

"But you know how much Yusei feels for Aki-san," Carly rebuked. "He would definitely try to help her if he finds her."

Ushio and shook his head again. "I don't know. Yusei's feelings towards Izayoi had definitely changed just because she's now pronounced to be a criminal, but I don't think he realises that at all." Ushio's eyes became clouded with thoughts.

There was a brief silence. Carly forcibly coughed and changed the topic.

"So Ushio, what are you going to do with Jack Atlus at the end?"

"God knows." Ushio rolled his eyes. "Entering the City from Satellite without a permit is a crime. Maybe I really will put him into a detention centre asap."

"Even when you've already completed his immigration permission in order to get in him into this state hospital?" Carly queried. Ushio had hurriedly filled in that form after receiving Yusei's request, making Jack more or less officially able to stay in the City. The tall black-haired man must really regret having filled it out so rashly.

Ushio coughed. "Well, I am a Security officer, Carly. Jack Atlus is infamous as a gang leader in Satellite. I suppose I can always overwrite that permission if I pull some strings in the department and send Jack off again…" He drifted off. Carly knew it would be very difficult, not to mention Ushio would have to explain to his superiors why he abused his authority in the first place.

"Where's the checkout office for in-patients in this hospital?"

Carly's question jolted Ushio. He stared at her, not realising what she meant. But it soon hit him.

"You… you're not actually going to take him home, are you, Carly? You know Yusei didn't mean what he said to you, right? He was just angry – he does that when he's upset –"

Ushio was all flustered, but Carly didn't mind. For some reason, she wanted to take matters into her own hands, and not just to spite Yusei.

"I don't know why Yusei wanted to speak to Jack Atlus," she answered Ushio, "but it must be very important. Jack definitely knows something. He's wounded, so he's not at all that dangerous, and I want to know what he has to say." Through her glasses, Carly fixed her eyes on Ushio. "I care about Yusei trying to find Aki-san, so I want to help. Please, let me check Jack out of the hospital tonight, before Security hears about this and causes any more trouble."

Ushio shook his head dejectedly. "I can't believe how you reporters work these days."

-XXXXX-

_Why didn't you defend her?_

That was a good question Ushio asked him.

He had no answer for that.

Because, once again, it was a question that he had avoided for some time.

Sitting in front of his table, Yusei leaned back into the chair he was sitting on, put his hands behind his head, and sighed. His window, high on the already elevated suburb of Tops, looked out over the multitudes of rooftops in which lived the more ordinary inhabitants of Neo Domino City, occasionally blocked by a soaring skyscraper standing aloof against the sky. Moonlight and starlight filtered through the glass, bringing just enough brilliance into Yusei's unlit room for the occupant to move around with ease. A memory stick was lying on the table, still displaying the article that its user read last. In that article, as expected, a familiar red-haired face was looking blankly out at the world.

Yusei's eyes left the scenery of the City and settled on Aki's picture. Within that memory stick was all the data and information that he had gathered on Aki's case, all his own speculations, all the evidence he had found in one way or another. It was undoubtedly one of his most precious possessions.

Yet Ushio had questioned the reason for its existence.

"Why… didn't I defend you?"

He muttered to himself as he picked up the memory stick and looked into her face. He missed her. Back then, even when she's away in Duel Academy or when he's out during tournaments, they could always be able to reach each other, just one phone call away. Now, her absence grated him, pained him. The King placed the memory stick back down, unwilling to look at those things for too long.

"I don't know why I didn't go to court for you." Yusei said slowly, to himself, to no one in particular. "I don't think I realised how serious everything was going to get, and by the time I knew exactly what was going on, it was too late." He shook his head softly. "Maybe I do feel guilty, maybe I am trying to make it up to you, maybe I am looking for you just because of those feelings – but most of all, Aki, I just wanted to see you again. I simply wanted to know where you really are. Is… that wrong?"

There was no answer. Not like he expected one.

Yusei's gaze fell onto his cellphone on the table. He really shouldn't have been so rude to Carly earlier tonight. She's probably asleep now. First thing tomorrow morning, he'd apologise to her.

He put everything aside and made ready for bed.

After he had fallen asleep, the cellphone screen lit up briefly, eerily blue in the darkened room, then died back down into the deep night.

* * *

Hmm... I couldn't find out what those high-tech stick-like image-projecting metal rods they used in the anime are called (you know, the kind that Security uses all the time), so I just settled to call it a 'memory stick'.

The exam period is almost over, so hopefully the next chapter will be up in about 2 weeks time. I'm going to go on holiday soon, so I'll try to do as much as I can before I go.

Any feedback on this chapter is welcome, and once again, thanks for your support ^^!


	4. I 4: Ghost

Didn't get the chance to reply to all of the reviews from last chapter due to exams and whatnot. Sorry about that.

Everyone should find out what the late phone call to Yusei is about in this chapter.

And yes, there will be Scoopshipping. ^^

The geographical separation of Satellite and City in this story will be explained near the end of this chapter.

As for Jack's surname… didn't the Japanese episode show it spelt Atlus…? No? I'll have a look later, and I'll change it in this story at my next update to Atlas if it's the case.

Anyways, please enjoy the next chapter of A Ruckus of Leaves.

**Chapter Four**

"Mikage-san, is it? …I didn't expect her to be up so late."

Yusei flitted through the list of messages left on his phone. He was a morning person by habit and today, like usual, was up at first light of dawn. To his surprise, his inbox contained an unusually late message, sent after he fell asleep last night. It was from Mikage.

The more he read, the more Yusei felt the unease with which she must have composed it. Beneath her usual concise and measured language there was an underlying concern, or perhaps even fear, that seeped out as she recounted how there had been and incident last night, and that Goodwin had requested Yusei to go into the Public Security Maintenance Bureau early in the morning. As for what incident, where, and why Yusei had to be present at the Security building, she did not say. Presumably, he would have to find it out himself.

While he got himself ready to leave for the Security headquarters, he briefly wondered if Jack was still at the hospital he had left him in. He decided to file that certain issue to the back of his head. After sending Carly a sincere apology via txt – she was one person that he's sure would not be up and about so early in the day – he got out of the house on his D-Wheel, heading towards the overwhelming tall tower that served as the heart of Neo Domino City's policing force.

When he got there, to his surprise, Mikage was already waiting for him down at the reception. Afraid that she may have already waited for a while, Yusei rushed up.

"King," Mikage's attitude toward him was reverent as usual, but within her large bronze eyes there was more than one shade of concern. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Yusei knew she must have meant the party from last night. "I'm fine, Mikage-san. I just wasn't feeling too well. I'm alright now."

"Is it so?" Mikage lowered her head. Yusei sensed that something was definitely wrong.

"What is it, Mikage-san?"

Heaving a heavy breath, Mikage looked at Yusei, her mouth twisted with hesitation. "I'm not sure if this morning's meeting with Director Goodwin is a good idea for you after last night, King."

Yusei was puzzled. "Please, speak what you have in mind, Mikage-san."

"But I can't do that," Mikage bit her lips. "As much as I'd like not to let you know certain things, I can't drag you away against the Director's wishes… I'm sorry, King. As your assistant, I can't even shield you..."

"Mikage-san, you're doing more than enough already." Yusei said gently. "Although you're my assistant, you're still a Security officer. I won't force you to disobey orders." He gave Mikage a reassuring nod. "I'll go up and sit through whatever Uncle Goodwin has to say. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"If you say so, King." Turning around, Mikage closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This way please. We're going to the top floor, the Director's office."

The elevator hummed its way up to the topmost floor, leaving Yusei plenty of time to wonder about what would be waiting for him. When he saw Ushio, sitting uncomfortably in Rex Goodwin's office and casting uneasy glances all around, he thought he had figured out what the problem was about. Goodwin must have found out about Jack.

"Yusei, welcome," Rex Goodwin greeted Yusei warmly. Yusei stopped the apology that he was about to voice. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Despite Ushio's unease, it didn't appear that he was being scolded. The wall-length screen facing Goodwin's table was turned out, the video currently being played paused on a blurry and dark scene.

Mikage bowed towards Goodwin, and the old man nodded in return, gesturing towards two empty seats for the two. Rather gingerly, they took the seat.

Goodwin sat down too and crossed his hands on the table. "Yusei, I believe that Mikage-san had told you to come here this morning as early as possible, is that correct?"

Yusei nodded in affirmation. He felt that this may not be about Jack, and waited for Goodwin to continue.

"Yusei," to the blue-eyed young man's surprise, it was Ushio who went on. "You probably don't know about this, but there has been an attack on a D-Wheeler in the City late last night."

"An attack?" Yusei queried. That was weird. Most other vehicles find it hard to keep up with D-Wheels, let alone the notion of attacking those duelling machines.

Ushio coughed. "Yes, attack. Yusei, do you happen to remember someone called Kageyama? A guy in the Security Fourth Cohort who used to work under me?"

Yusei sought for the man's image for a little while in his mind. "I do… was he the one who's a big fan of me? I heard he even got a D-Wheel that looks a lot like mine."

There was an awkward look passed between Goodwin and Ushio. The other Security went on after a small pause.

"Kageyama was off duty yesterday, and he was riding back home on his D-Wheel late last night," Ushio explained. "On the way back, he was attacked in a most brutal manner. He called for help via the Security internal line, so we now have footage and some recordings that we've retrieved from his D-Wheel." He motioned towards the giant screen.

Yusei simply nodded again. He still didn't know why he had to watch this, though.

Ushio started the video from the beginning. Kageyama had obviously made the call in a hurry. The camera, positioned just on top of the D-Wheel's screen, showed a large shot of the man's face. Yusei almost smiled when he realised how similar the other man's helmet was to his own, but the smile faded from his lips when he registered the man's panicking expression. Moreover, behind Kageyama, something was looming near. Something large, reddish, and sharp… for example, a red dragon's wingtip.

"Security, calling Security Emergency Line!" Kageyama was literally screaming into the camera despite the strong wind blowing into his face. "I'm Kageyama, under attack on duel lane 2A-7 from an unknown D-Wheel. My opponent is not normal –"

His voice ended abruptly here. In the blink of an eye, the entire screen was awash with red. Kageyama was in the middle of the duel, and he had just taken a direct hit that got his life points to fall to zero. But this image isn't normal. Holograms are not supposed to be this powerful. Just as those thoughts were racing through Yusei's head, the screen spattered and went completely black.

"At this point, the camera on Kageyama's D-Wheel broke," Ushio muttered.

Evidently, the mike lasted a while longer. There were sounds of another D-Wheel stopping beside Kageyama. Then, silence. A long while later, so long that Yusei almost thought the footage was finished, there came a simple sentence.

_My mistake. This isn't Yusei. _

Yusei jolted in his seat.

"The footage finishes here," Ushio commented.

"Play that again." Through gritted teeth, Yusei practically ordered.

Was that… really her voice?

Ushio obediently replayed it. Yusei ignored all of Kageyama's screams, all the fire, and waited for that voice.

_My mistake. This isn't Yusei._

Goodwin sighed. "We were hoping to see if you could tell us whether this is a synthetic voice, Yusei." He looked straight at the younger man's face. "What do you think?"

Yusei's fingers dug into his seat. Synthetic? Never. He'd always recognise Aki's voice. It wasn't fake. It wasn't fake.

"It's genuine." He manages to squeeze those words out of his mouth.

Goodwin nodded solemnly. "As I thought. It seems she wasn't died after all."

"May I speak to Kageyama sometime soon, Uncle Goodwin?" Yusei asked softly.

"No, Yusei." Goodwin's voice became particularly grave. "Kageyama is already dead."

Ushio gave a nervous look at Yusei, and Mikage bowed her head. Yusei bit his lip, and tried his best to avoid the eyes of everyone else in the room.

The Director took all of this in at a glance." Thank you, Yusei," he nodded to the young man. "I'm sure you've got many other things on your hands as the King. You can go now if you wish."

Yusei pushed himself out of the chair and stood up. "Then, excuse me, Uncle Goodwin."

As he walked out of the room, Ushio narrowed his eyes. "Would be it be a good idea to let Yusei go off on his own now, Director?" He asked as soon as the door closed after Yusei.

Goodwin grimaced. "The boy was dying to get out. Mikage-san," he stopped Mikage, who was about to get up and follow Yusei out, with a look, "let Yusei stay by himself for a while."

-XXXXX-

Yusei rapidly traversed the corridor leading toward the elevators, his steps matching his quickening heartbeat. He almost bolted out of the elevator when it reached the ground floor garage. The short sojourn in Goodwin's artificially-illuminated office felt so long that the warm sunlight he felt on his hand right now was almost like a mirage to him.

"What's wrong with me?"

The King sank into his D-Wheel. He never ran from problems. He never felt such a strong urge to escape from any situations. Is this all so different because it's about Aki?

No, it's not just about Aki; a small voice in his mind answered. This is different because it's about a psychic duelist going about the City at night beating duelists who looked like Yusei and a killer who's taken yet another life and a murderer who sounded like she has no remorse…!

He forcibly stopped his thoughts from going down that lane but her voice, the words said so coldly and mechanically, echoed in his head. _This isn't Yusei This isn't Yusei This isn't Yusei This isn't Yusei_

What if it was Yusei? And what would she do once she finds Yusei?

"A… ki…"

He should have felt happy, elated, exalted. He had finally confirmed that she is still alive. While he did feel relieved, there was also sorrow for Kageyama, rage for her action, guilt for being its cause, and most of all an overwhelming terror. A terror so completely enveloping that he could feel himself shaking all over. Like the cold fingers of a ghostly hand, the freezing tendrils of an evil chill slowly climbed up his spine.

He would soon ride out – soon _have to_ ride out to meet her, but right now Fudo Yusei simply stayed on his D-Wheel trying to fight this fear. A fear that he's never known before. The fear of knowing that a psychic duelist is on the chase.

-XXXXX-

Jack just had to be up and about and walk into the sitting room as soon as Carly got up herself.

And he just had to greet her in a most surly manner first thing in the morning. What a great way to start the day.

Facing Carly, who was busy reading txts in her phone with a smile on her face, Jack plonked himself down on a chair beside the dining table. From Carly's happy expressions, Jack didn't even need to guess who sent the message to her. Without even looking at her, and admiring the clear sky of the City that provided such a stark contrast to the constant gray of Satellite, he asked.

"So, are you the King's woman?"

Carly, shocked, glaring at him, momentarily at a loss of what to say. Jack paid no attention to her, and started to chew on the jam and toast that she had prepared for herself.

"O – of course not!" The yelling she managed at last didn't shake any of Jack's nonchalance. "What made you think that? And why did you have to say it so rudely? Did – did no one teach you manners as a kid?" She managed to utter the worse insult she could have thought up at the moment.

Jack's purple eyes looked up and fixed coolly on Carly. The reporter involuntarily recoiled, but gritted her teeth and steeled herself to continue facing him.

"No," Jack growled. "Unlike you civilised people in the City, I didn't have that privilege."

He turned away from her, toast in hand.

"And you – you haven't even thanked me for bringing you out of the hospital and away from Security!"

"You decided to do that yourself," Jack's voice was cold. "I didn't ask you to do it, so I won't thank you."

"What – you – you –"

"What?" Jack spoke when Carly continued to try to get words out of her. "Is Yusei so unhappy with you taking me in?"

"He – he wasn't going to send you to the detention centres anyway." Carly bit her lip. "He wouldn't have done that, even to you."

"I knew that," Jack glanced down at his right arm. "I knew he wouldn't."

Although Jack's tone didn't change in anyway, Carly felt as if she touched upon the thing that was bothering Yusei last night. How was Jack certain that Yusei would leave him alone? Carly didn't think it's because Jack knew about Yusei's gentle nature.

"Where's my D-Wheel?" Jack abruptly changed the topic.

"In the garage," Carly crossed her arms.

Jack turned back to look at her. This time he was genuinely surprised. He had assumed that his vehicle would be kept at the Security headquarters to prevent him from escaping.

"I'm not worried about you running away at the moment," Carly went on. "You've got nowhere to go in the City. You don't know anyone here, and you aren't even fit to drive yet." She gestured towards the bandages that still covered Jack's arms and hands.

Jack narrowed his eyes and regarded the young, bespectacled woman in front of him carefully. He had thought her to be one of those typical female reporters, obsessed with the latest gossip and jumping at every chance they can get to get a good story out. This one, however, dealt with objects of potential scoops a bit differently.

"You trust me that much?" He sneered at her. "You aren't bothered about having me in your house?"

Carly pouted, briefly. "I believe you're not dangerous."

Jack laughed inwardly and continued eating. In front of him, Carly was staring at him. When Jack finished his toast, Carly pushed a plate over to him with more bread. Jack accepted it without any expression of gratitude.

He knows how well his body can cope with things. For now, he'll stay put a while longer. The most important thing right now was that he was currently in the City and at least, for now, a free man. It's good that Carly's got his D-Wheel close. Jack suspected that Security would still be monitoring Carly's house, but that can't keep up forever.

He'll soon be leaving.

-XXXXX-

Later that day, Ruka happily waved her friends goodbye as they left the front gate of the Duel Academy. The young girl couldn't help but smile even as she turned and walked away. Today had been the school festival, with each classes coming up with wondrous themes and each student dressed up in anything but their daily uniforms. Ruka giggled to herself, remembering the naughty antics of his brother and his friends, the reason that they had all ended up staying behind at the school to clean up the resultant mess of their pranks. Wearing a large hood that completely covered up her green hair, Ruka could have skipped along the road had she not been concerned about accidentally dropping her Duel Disk that she carried on her back along with her bag. Taking her deck out of her skirt pocket, she grinned at it. "Wasn't it such a fun day?" She said to no one in particular, at least in appearance.

She expected her deck to pulse in agreement and delight. However, she could feel no such response. Ruka's olivine eyes widened in concern.

"What's wrong…?"

Something was definitely wrong. The aura that her deck gave off was defensive and full of apprehension. Quickly, Ruka looked around her.

She caught it easily. It stood out as incongruously as a bad smell or a stain – not so much a stain she saw with her vision but a stain perceived with her mind.

In fact, anyone else apart from her would have dismissed that D-Wheel driving slowly away from her as nothing more than an ordinary D-Wheeler taking his beloved machine out for a ride. The pose of the rider was casual, relaxed. There was no apparent reason for anyone to suspect anything. With his back to Ruka, she couldn't even determine what he looked like. Nonetheless, she was rooted to ground, watching that black D-Wheel getting further and further from her toward the direction where a few of her friends were going home by. Ruka could still glimpse the green wig that one of them had put on.

Unable to dispel this uneasy feeling, the young girl frowned and looked down at her deck. "Regulus", she whispered. Although she had kept her voice low, a few high school students that happened to past her gave her odd glances, obviously wondering why on earth a girl would stand in the middle of the pavement speaking to her deck.

She paid them no attention. The fact that Ruka can see and communicate with card spirits was a secret to begin with.

Ruka had been a card game genius as a young child. She mastered Duel Monsters when she was only three years old. She would probably become a junior champion had she continued that way. However, she had collapsed for no apparent reason during a tournament when she was four, and fell straight into a coma. Her parents were puzzled, her brother was terrified, but it just may have been the best thing that happened to Ruka in her life so far.

Ever since her miraculously reawakening from that causeless coma, Ruka had been able to perceive the world of Duel Monster spirits, although it would seem that such communication drained her of her strength. She had been constantly weak ever since then, prone to fainting spells and dizziness, and sometimes it was hard for her to even stand through an entire duel, especially not when she could hear and see all the spirits around her. Understandably, she had disappeared from junior tournaments since then, content with just duelling her brother once on a while. Even when she entered Duel Academy she had, at first, tried to avoid more duels than necessary. Her body and mind seemed to get stronger as she grew, though, so now Ruka can finally trust herself to duel continuously without any physical symptoms.

Her secret ability was known only to a few. Even her parents, perpetually away on one trip or another, remained oblivious to it. The only people who knew it probably only consist of Rua and Yusei. Rua, because he is her sibling, her twin, the person she spent most of her days with. Yusei did seem to be a strange choice of a confident, but Ruka found it fine since he had grown up with Aki, whose powers are equally strange compared to her own. Ruka supposed that she herself could count as a psychic duelist too, although she rarely used the power of the spirits. After all, monster spirits can interfere in the physical world much better than holograms ever could.

_I'm here, Ruka. Did you sense that too?_

Ruka didn't need to turn around to confirm the presence of the spirit named Regulus that stood behind her. A lion-shaped Duel Monster spirit, Regulus was the one who had protected Ruka the most and conversed most often with her, being one of her favourite cards in her deck. She walked to lean against the brick wall of the building next to the pavement, so that the passersby would only think of her as a small girl muttering to herself as she watched the afternoon sun.

From what Regulus said, it seems Ruka's concerns were not unfounded.

"I sensed it," Ruka whispered an answer, looking up at the armoured lion looming beside her that she alone can see. "What is it, Regulus?"

Regulus's brow furrowed above his big brown eyes. _That man forebodes danger to you, child. I feel as if he was waiting for you. Be glad that he moved away. He probably mistook you for someone else with your hood on. _The spirit nudged on Ruka's hood as he said this.

Ruka peered past Regulus at the D-Wheel that was receding out of her sight like a dark ghost fading into the approaching night. "Probably mistook me for – oh!" She sudden gave a small cry and put her hand to her mouth to mute it. Regulus looked at her with increasing concern.

"Regulus, Patty – Patty's wearing a green wig!" Ruka looked up at Regulus, the horror of the realisation coming over her. "The D-Wheel went after Patty and everyone else's direction. Regulus, do you think –"

The spirit's leonine face was grave. But before he could say anything, however, Ruka was already running down the street.

_Ruka, wait!_ The spirit caught up easily and ran beside her. _Where are you going?_

"I can't let him hurt Patty!" Ruka said breathlessly as she ran.

_He has a D-Wheel, Ruka. _Regulus voiced.

"I know, which is why I need… to get my Riding Duel… deck and my… Duel Board from home… Fairy Archer!"

A small fairy spirit emerged from Ruka's deck at her call. Ruka gestured behind her. "Please… follow that D-Wheel."

With a nod, the spirit flew off. Regulus stayed at Ruka's side. _Are you sure about this, Ruka?_

"My friends might get hurt…. because of me," Ruka panted. "I can't let… such a thing happen, Regulus." She looked at the spirit pleadingly. The lion finally nodded.

Thankfully, Duel Academy wasn't too far away from her home in Tops. She raced home, adjusted her deck, grabbed her Duel Board, and put on the protective gear of red knee guards, elbow guards, helmet, and gloves. Different to the D-Wheels, which are literally duelling motorcycles, the Duel Board allows its user to link his or her Duel Disk to a specifically designed skateboard and is very popular among young duelists. Just as she had finished strapping on all the gear and ran out of the front door of the apartment building she lived in, Duel Board in hand, she almost bumped into Rua.

"Ru – Ruka?" Her brother, confused, was looking at her with a lost expression. Ruka lost no time in connecting her Duel Disk with the Duel Board, barely pausing to speak to Rua.

"Sorry Rua, gotta go save Patty." She left those words behind as she started the Duel Board. "I'll be back soon!"

Rua, looking at his sister's rapidly repeating figure, was quite dumbfounded. "Gotta go save Patty?" He repeated to himself. "What did she mean…? Gotta go save Patty… wait, save Patty?"

Rua blinked in the setting afternoon sun that was gradually sinking beneath the horizon. Why would his sister need to save one of their friends? He could not imagine his frail and gentle sister as a heroine of such kind.

Nonetheless, she's taken her Duel Board in what seemed a great hurry. Rua had no idea what was going in, but he could tell Ruka wasn't acting normal. Something important must be up, and Ruka may need his help whether she realises it or not. He wouldn't allow his sister to get hurt.

Rua quickly got on the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, which is where they lived. Within moments, he was out of the door with his own suit of blue protective gear and Duel Board, using the GPS system provided for all duelling vehicles to track down Ruka through her Duel Board's registration number. Before he left his house, though, he left a message for the one other person whom he thought may need to know about this as well.

-XXXXX-

Darkness had already firmly enveloped Neo Domino City in its lightless cloak when Jack stirred awake. He had slept away most of the afternoon. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes, and caught the sound of Carly speaking on the phone outside in the living room.

Yusei was calling. Carly was glad to hear from him. He sounded like he was back to his normal self, calm, composed, quietly confident. At least, that's what she thought at first. The words he spoke were worrying.

"Carly, have you seen the twins around?" Yusei quickly cut to the point after some greetings.

"Twins?" Carly repeated. "You mean… Rua and Ruka?"

"Yes." Yusei sighed. "Rua left a message on my phone about half an hour ago, saying he's going to help his sister to save a classmate and that they're gonna go on their Duel Boards."

"Oh? That sure was a weird message." Carly gave a soft laugh. "Are you sure they didn't take their Duel Boards to duel their classmates?"

On the other side of the line, Yusei fell silent. "I don't know," he said in a low voice, suddenly preoccupied. "Rua sounded it was more serious than that. Moreover, it's just not safe for the twins to be roaming around at night while that person's around… "

Carly didn't understand all that he said. "'While that person is around'? Yusei, what do you mean?"

"Nothing," Yusei replied so quickly Carly was sure he was covering something up. "Carly, can you please have a look around your area? I'm using my GPS to track them, but it seems they've gone quite far from Tops and are closer to where you live. They're still children. I don't want them to be in danger in the night streets, however safe Security claims the City to be."

Although she knew Yusei couldn't see her, Carly nodded out of habit. "I'll do that, Yusei. I'll call you back when I've been around the area."

"That'd be great. Thanks." She could hear genuine relief in Yusei's voice.

After the phone call, Carly hastily rummaged through her apartment to take out a few things that she thinks may be useful, such as torches. When she's got them all and was ready to head to her car, she left her apartment quickly and locked the door behind her.

When he'd made sure that Carly's left, Jack moved out of his room and went into the living room. Traces of Carly's untidy search were evident on the living room floor. Jack was about to turn away when something metallic, glittering in the weak light of the streetlamps outside, caught his eye.

The blond man bent down. There was a small key, which had obviously been resting in the drawer until a few moments ago. Jack twirled it in his fingers. His body had proved itself good at recovering from wounds, just like it always had while he lived in Satellite, that little patch of desolation connected to the City by a very narrow isthmus. Frowning a little, an idea suddenly struck him. Walking to the front door, he placed the small, unadorned key into the key hole. It fitted; and at a small flick of his wrist, it also turned.

A satisfied smile crept up Jack's pale face. He hadn't expected his luck to be this good.

* * *

Ruka and Rua's Duel Boards are exactly as they are presented in episodes 77 and 78 against Lucciano.

I'll be on holiday for about a month, so no updates till then… see you all again at around Christmas!


	5. I 5: Prey

Alright, I've got chapter 5 here after another long delay.

I've decided to keep Jack's surname as Atlus, as that is how it's spelt in the Japanese version (you can see it in episode 27, when his name is spelt on the door of his hospital room).

**Chapter Five**

The City was so different at night compared to how it was during the day. The air stilled, every single black alleyway looking like the hungry mouths of a foreboding beast, every blank window looking like the rolled-up eyes of a malevolent wraith. Ruka shivered, not from the cold, but from the sudden realisation that she was plunging headlong into a world she had never entered before. Keeping a tight hold on her deck, ready to summon a monster as soon as something happens, Ruka guided the Duel Board slowly forward to where Fairy Archer had told her the unknown D-Wheel had finally stopped.

Ruka quickly hid behind the corner of a small shop front when she heard voices ahead of her. Carefully edging forward, she saw two dark-coloured D-Wheels parked on the pavement of the silent and abandoned street, the two riders conversing in hushed tones.

"…Two?" Ruka wondered in confusion. She had not been told, nor did she anticipate, this. But she forced herself to get these irrelevant thoughts out of her head and concentrated on trying to discern if Patty was around.

There. In between the front wheels of the two D-Wheels, Patty's small body was barely visible from the angle Ruka was looking. The blonde girl was lying face down on the pavement, her green wig lying to one side. Ruka chocked back a stunned cry.

_Steady, Ruka_. Regulus's strong paw caught her as she wobbled.

Ruka was certain she saw blood on the ground around her friend's body. Tears tumbled down her face as she pressed her hand hard against her mouth, trying her best not to make a sound.

_Hold yourself together, child_. Regulus whispered beside Ruka. The lion leaned down, supporting Ruka's torso. _I think someone else is coming this way too_.

Startled, Ruka lifted her tear-stained face. True enough, the loud rumbling of a D-Wheel could be heard at a distance, and it was growing steadily louder all the time.

The sound wasn't missed by the two riders. After a nervous glance behind them, they quickly started their engines and made to ride away. Ruka caught a clearer glimpse as they passed beneath a streetlamp. One vehicle was black, its inky body decorated with a few bands of yellow, its rider sporting an ebony, winged helmet. The other machine was also dark, but intertwined with patterns of navy blue together with a round helmet for the rider. As they moved rapidly away, leaving Patty's body prostrate on the ground like a snapped puppet doll, Ruke espied the rider with the winged helmet turning around. For a split second, she could have sworn that she saw something glistening on the man's face.

She had impulsively wanted to follow them, but the newcomer had already arrived. Yusei's crimson D-Wheels roared past her in the split of an eye, hot in pursuit of the two mysterious D-Wheelers. As soon as Yusei was far enough so the sound of his engine was no longer deafening, Regulus spoke again.

_Wait here a bit longer, Ruka. Your brother is also coming._

"Rua?" Ruka looked behind her surprisingly. "But I told him to wait for me at home…"

Regulus shook his head. _I'm afraid that's not the case. Here he comes._

True to that, Rua soon came into view. He had evidently tried to catch up to Yusei, but his Duel Board was no match for Yusei's enhanced D-Wheel. He disconnected his Duel Disk and ran off his Duel Board when he saw his sister and ran towards Ruka.

"Ruka! Are you alright?" His heart jolted when he saw the tears gleaming on his sister's face.

"Yeah, I'm… fine." Ruka hurriedly wiped the tears away. "But Patty… she's…"

Following the direction of Ruka's gaze, Rua turned and walked cautiously towards their friend. Ruka, after disconnecting from her own Duel Board, went with him. The twins couldn't make out Patty's face. The girl's long blonde hair, smeared dark with blood and clinging to the ground like the stubborn vines of crumbling ivy, formed a macabre sight under the monochrome street light. Ruka's legs wobbled; she didn't her best to swallow down the bitter liquid that welled up at the back of her throat. Beside her, Rua asked in a weak voice.

"Is she… is she…"

_She's still alive._ Gravely, Regulus answered Rua's unspoken words.

"Regulus says she's still alive." Ruka replied to her brother through tightly clutched teeth. Rua nodded and took one step gingerly forward, as if he's made up his mind to pick Patty up.

However, he was saved from that attempt by a car skidding to a stop beside them and a loud, familiar voice.

Carly raced toward the twins as soon as she jumped out of the car. "Ruka! Rua!" Seeing their startled expressions, the reporter's gaze when to the object beside the twins' feet. "What – what happened?"

Ruka lowered her head and bit her lip. Tears were threatening to tumble out of her eyes again. "Our… our friend was attacked. She… she…"

Carly saw that the twins were finding it difficult to come to terms with the situation. She realised that in order to save Patty she'd have to do something herself, and fast.

"Let's get your friend to the hospital. Ruka, Rua, I'll take care of her. You two go get your Duel Boards and get in the car."

The twins nodded mutely and ran off in unison. Carly approached the little body on the ground and picked the girl up delicately. From the congealed blood on the girl's head, Carly could tell that she's been wounded for some time. But she couldn't afford to think of that now. As soon as Rua and Ruka got in, she hit the accelerator and sped towards the closest hospital.

-XXXXX-

Like a blur, an afterimage of the setting sun's final, blinding light, Yusei's red D-Wheel flew after the two dark shadows before him.

They zipped through the night streets, their loud rumbling stirring through the sleepy and soundless block. Yusei was right on the other two's tail. Forced to travel in the narrow streets of this relatively poor part of the City, the two foreign D-Wheels couldn't do much except to follow the twists and turns of the road. They were also obviously unfamiliar with the terrain. They chose to stay together instead of splitting up, which should have been the logical thing to do to make Yusei's solo pursuit difficult.

The King accelerated. The tip of his front wheel was already beginning to brush against the back of the D-Wheel in front of him. Its rider, aware of this, started to shift sideways to avoid a collision. Grasping this chance, Yusei pushed in through the gap that was created and advanced forward, jutting in and riding neck-to-neck with the rider that was originally before him.

He had received a vague outline of what was going on from Rua when he caught up with the little guy earlier on. When he saw these two D-Wheels running away from Patty's body, he had no doubts about whether or not to give chase. A check through the City's D-Wheel database yielded no matches and no registers for these two. As the King of D-Wheelers in this part of the world, Yusei saw it as his personal duty to deal with such rogue D-Wheelers, especially since it appears that Aki… had someone joined this nebulous underworld.

Plagued by that sudden thought about Aki, Yusei couldn't help but cast a quick glance at the D-Wheel now beside him although he was certain that the rider couldn't possibly be a woman, let alone Aki. A young and defiant visage glared back at him from beneath that black helmet on that yellow-banded bike. The rider's face was full of Markers, scars with microchips imbedded in them that Security places on the faces of criminals to warn the general public of their unlawful deeds and also to trace them electronically when necessary. Had Ushio had his way yesterday, Jack's face would now be crisscrossed with them too. Yusei narrowed his eyes at the D-Wheeler. People with Markers are despised and feared. This man, with his face a labyrinth of Markers, has no place in this City.

Though, the chase's silence was very soon broken.

"Fudo Yusei, isn't it?" A soft, sneering voice, coming from before him, made Yusei snap his head around. The driver of the black-blue D-Wheel in front of him turned his head around just a little to address Yusei, but the sarcasm seeping out of his words were tangible without the need to see his face. "Pity that you had to be Aki's prey, my King."

"What… did you say?"

Although the stunned words slipped from Yusei's mouth, the Marked man next to him seemed to be equally surprised. He accelerated his black-yellow D-Wheel and began to edge forward, breaking away from the King. The sudden howling of his engine momentarily drowned out all other sounds surrounding them, and filled the wind whipping against Yusei's face.

"Out of my way!" Yusei roared. He pushed his machine on, not giving them a chance to escape. Hearing Aki's name spoken so casually hurt his ears. It's been so long since someone had spoken of her as a person, not as a memory, not as a human being shrouded in the past tense. In that moment, the blue D-Wheel was the living proof for him that Aki was still alive. Without a second thought, Yusei pushed over the black-yellow D-Wheel beside him, sending the other rider reeling into the fence of a garden. Yusei paid no attention. He was completely focused on the other prey. His answer, the answer that may finally lead him back to Aki, was right in front of him.

"What do you know about Aki?" He shouted after the rider. The two of them had rode into a small plaza paved in cobblestones. Without a warning, the man in front of Yusei pulled his vehicle sideways and skidded to a stop. Caught at unawares, Yusei slammed hard on the brakes, the faint white smoke that rose from his wheels wafted toward the stars. In the desolate plaza, illuminated by the pallid light of the few lamps scattered about, the white mist rose as twirling shadows before Yusei's face and parted at his breath to reveal the other man in front of him.

Metres before Yusei, the other young man was sniggering quietly. His golden eyes, narrowed in spite, mirrored the mockery in the upturned ends of his thin mouth. His silvery hair was draped over the vertical Marker on the left side of his face and his body, clad in a crimson shirt and a leather jacket, was shaking softly with barely suppressed laughter. "So, my little prince," he leered, "you've finally decided to chase down your damsel in distress?"

Yusei's gloved hands gripped the steering handles with a vengeance. "What do you presume to know about me… about Aki?"

"I know enough," the other man spat on the ground. "I know how you deserted her, I know how you abandoned her, and I know how," his voice lowered to a rasping hiss, "you left her to die."

"I did not! I di –" Yusei's words caught in his throat. "I –"

"You know very well that you did," the other man growled back. "You had no idea how much you hurt her. While you've been in the City, enjoying your kingly throne, Aki has been – she had been –" He paused, breathing heavily, as if suddenly touched by the memory of a nightmare that he never wishes to live through again.

Yusei was overwhelmed by this surge of emotions from this stranger, but he didn't get a chance to interrupt.

"I would love to take you down right here," the other rider recovered his voice, and spat back with malice. "I would give up many things for the chance to avenge Aki on you with my own hands. But don't worry. She'll soon come to you herself, Fudo Yusei. She would come for her due. From the City, and especially from you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yusei raised his voice. This conversation sounded more and more like a threat for him. "Where is she? What happened to her? And who are you?"

The only reply he received was a pall of laughter and a faceful of smoke as the other started the engine. He made to give chase.

"Don't follow me, King." The man's loud voice drifted back in the wind. "I've had two mis-hits already. Don't tempt me with a real target tonight, Fudo Yusei."

Yusei swallowed and forced himself to stop. He placed one foot on the ground to prevent himself from tearing after the unknown rider in heedless anger. Reasoning that he needs to turn back to the twins, he slowly turned and started to drive back, retracing his steps. On the way back, as a distraction, he checked the spot where he smashed the yellow-black D-Wheel into the fence, but there was already no trace of the bike or its rider. However, as he was driving by, something on the ground caught his eye.

Dismounting, he bent down to have a closer look. It was a Synchro Monster card. It must have dropped when its owner crashed into the fence, and was thus left behind.

Yusei twirled the card in his hand for a brief moment, then put it in his pocket as he stood up and walked back to his bike.

A duelist's habit, he supposes.

-XXXXX-

Jack cursed himself for his stupendous lack of foresight tonight. He may have been granted a chance to escape with Carly's key, but he should have at least figured out that he may have difficulties with entering her garage.

Half an hour had already passed after he slipped out of Carly's apartment. All the worse for him, her garage was further down the road. After dodging patrolling Security officers, evading outlaws roaming the streets, and keeping to the shadows, a good thirty minutes had passed since he left Carly's place.

And now, he's been standing in this late summer night for even longer due to the fact that he's been picking at the garage lock with a wire. Jack swore under his breath as he wriggled the wire again, anticipating the small click that would signify his victory in accessing his D-Wheel once more.

He gave another final, hard tug to the wire as he felt the inner riggings of the lock offering predicted resistance. Sweat was already seeping out of his forehead. The rare passer-by were giving him suspicious looks and his white riding suit, donned before he left Carly's place, didn't exactly help him to blend in either. Therefore, he heaved a huge sigh of relief when the lock gave in at last and yield to his incessant prodding. Reaching down, he pulled the garage door up in one move and started to step into it for his machine.

"Yo. Business going well tonight?"

He froze at the sudden, ridiculing voice behind him. With one hand still on the steel door, Jack carefully turned around.

Five burly men were standing in the pavement before him, something that he had apparently missed in his preoccupation with the lock. Jack frowned inwardly. This has to be a gang of riffraffs if he ever saw one. Apart from all being much more heavily built than Jack, two of the gang were also waving baseball bats casually around as if they were swatting flies.

"What do you what?" Jack muttered in a low, dangerous voice he hoped would send those men away.

Their leader, a muscular man whose face was already Marked, sauntered forward from behind the two baseball bullyboys. "Nothing much man. We just saw that you're going fine with that lock and popped in to have a look at what you've got. Mind if we step in?"

At that, he started to walk toward Jack, the baseball bats following right behind. Jack stood his ground.

The gang leader stopped when he was only about two metres away from Jack. "Say, man," he squinted at Jack with small, curious eyes, "you're new in this part of the town, are you? You don't look like you know the rules around here."

Jack knew he's met a team of local gangsters bent on having a share of whatever spoils others may get while on their turf. Their type could be found anywhere on Satellite. Heck, Jack himself was one such man. The present gang had a distinct advantage over Jack with their numbers and their weapons, The Satellite resident figured he has only one chance to get out of this.

Keeping a close eye on the men advancing towards him, Jack readied himself. Then, without a sign, he bolted inside for his D-Wheel.

Shouts instantly rose behind him. He ignored the footsteps getting closer and closer and ran faster into the large communal garage, his purple eyes darting left and right in search of the giant white wheel. He caught sight of it almost immediately. Looming up behind a few private cars, his tall D-Wheel waited patiently next to an empty parking lot for his return. Jack's steps quickened as did his heartbeat. Reaching out his left hand to heave himself up the D-Wheel and start it as soon as he reaches it, he leapt toward his bike –

– And was sent plummeting to the concrete floor by a heavy blow to the back of his head.

Jack groaned and tried to raise himself up. What greeted him was another blow.

"Looks like I really should teach you some manners tonight, kid." Jack felt someone landing a rough kick to his side. "It's impolite not to share."

Jack turned painfully around just on time to fend off a flurry of blows coming from right above him.

He had barely enough time to let out a startled cry before he instinctively raised his arms and curled up to protect himself. The tall young man desperately covered his vitals with his limbs. All he was aware of were the unyielding coldness of the concrete on his back, the piercing agony of the blows that landed on his skin, and the throbbing numbness that threatened to take over all of his body. Vaguely, amid all of that, he sensed that a car had driven into the garage and there were other footsteps, and yelling.

Shocked, Carly jumped off the car as soon as she realised what was going on, not even bothered to stop the engine. Grasping the short time during which the gang members were momentarily dazed by her entrance, she ran toward one man with a baseball bat and tried her hardest to pull him away from Jack.

"What are you doing? Get away from him!"

The man threw her off with a shrug as if she was light as a feather. She landed flat on the ground, the breath knocked out of her lungs, her glasses nowhere to be found. After searching hurriedly all around her for her glasses and putting them back on, she saw the man was glaring at her. He turned his attention back to Jack after throwing a few curses at her direction.

"Wait! You –" A searing ache penetrated Carly's ribs just as she shouted. She gasped and fell back down. There was no way she could save Jack this way. She could still see him by the light of her car, curled into a ball in the middle of that gang. Then, to her surprise, she saw two small figures step out of the car and into the pool of light.

"Rua! Ruka! Don't go!"

Ruka heard Carly's cry, and Rua saw the gang's curious, hungry stare that slowly fell on them. But neither turned back. Ruka grasped her brother's hand tight, and Rua stood closer to his sister.

It was the twins who insisted to be driven back to Carly's place after Yusei called them saying that Patty's attackers had fled, but he had picked up a card that they dropped. Ruka, being able to talk to card spirits, was naturally eager to see this card. That was the reason they had driven back after they sent Patty to the hospital and contacted the girl's parents. If it wasn't for that, or the fact that Carly was just a little worried about Jack, they wouldn't have returned so quickly.

And now it seemed Carly's worry had become true. Ruka shivered as the gang fixed their gazes on her and her brother. She knew that neither Carly or Jack couldn't help them, alone and beaten in this dark night. If anyone was to help them, it may just be Ruka herself.

She took a deep breath. Letting go of Rua's hand, her right hand edged toward her Duel Disk that was strapped to her arm.

One of the men was already strolling towards the twins. "Look what we have here, guys." He grinned, licking his lips as he looked Ruka and her brother from head to toe.

Rua gritted his teeth upon seeing that expression. He took one small, determined step protectively in front of his sister.

"Oh? Trying to be a little hero here, are we?" The man kept advancing. Rua must be afraid, but he wasn't showing it. He nudged his sister backward, but at the same time Ruka had already drawn a card, the only card from her Synchro deck.

"Rua," she whispered to her brother, "duck down."

Rua turned his head in surprise. "What –"

"The holy light of protection! Now, associate with life. Synchro Summon! Illuminate, Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

With a screech, the pride and joy of Ruka's deck emerged sparkling from her Duel Disk. The serpentine, cerulean form of a sinewy dragon materialised in the dark garage, cloacked in a golden light. Illuminated by the headlights of Carly's car, the dragon screed and bared its white teeth at the gang, which was now numb with incomprehension. As if to demonstrate the authenticity of its existence, the dragon reached out an arm and bodily swept away the man who had been approaching Ruka. The man flew off with a terrified scream, which abruptly changed into a whimper when his torso hit the far wall with a solid bang.

The gang leader was by then already shaking with fear.

"She's a psychic duelist!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "A psychic duelist! Run, run for your lives!"

All of the ruffians bolted out in seconds, not even daring to cast a single glance behind them. Ruka let out the breath that she's been holding. Her left arm, which was raised at her chest level to steady the Duel Disk, she now lowered as sudden tiredness assailed her after this rather exertion of physically calling out a spirit.

_Ruka, Rua, are you alright?_

Ruka smiled at the owner of that motherly, concerned voice coming from above her and nodded at the dragon in reassurance. "Thank you, Ancient Fairy Dragon," she replied. "Thanks for saving us."

If it had a human face, the dragon must be smiling right now. "_Don't worry, Ruka._"

"Ruka, you – you are a… psychic duelist?"

A quivering, terrified voice rose weakly in the now empty garage. Ruka and Rua turned towards the sound. Carly had managed to get up and move over to where Jack was. Holding Jack up, the reporter stared at Ruka with eyes filled with fear and confusion, mixed with something borderlining mistrust. Jack, rather uncertain about what was going on, blinked at Carly's words and fixed his eyes wearily on the twins.

"Carly, it's… it's alright. Ancient Fairy Dragon is a really nice spirit." Rua, stammering, tried to explain. "You see, Ruka… she can talk with Duel Monster spirits… she's not really a psychic duelist. She just calls out monster spirits sometimes and they… er… they help us. It's not what you think…"

It was then that Yusei arrived on the scene. Stopping outside the garage, the blue eyed young man took in the scene before him with a rather puzzled expression. "What happened here?" He asked, bewildered, seeing the twins standing before a materialised monster and Carly, sitting on the ground with Jack in her arms, staring at Ruka as if she's seen the devil.

Wordlessly, Ruka took the monster card off her Duel Disk. Ancient Fairy Dragon shimmered and disappeared after a brief nod to the little girl. The fear deepened on Carly's face as she watched Ruka putting her card back into her Synchro Deck.

Seeing that his sister kept quiet, Rua sighed, and made up his mind.

"Yusei," he began, paused, then went on, "I think we need to explain about Ruka."

-XXXXX-

The five of them had moved back to Carly's apartment at once. The twins carried their Duel Boards while Carly walked gingerly beside them. After throwing the thug Ancient Fairy Dragon had dispatched out onto the street, Yusei cruised slowly along on his D-Wheel. As for Jack, he insisted in walking by himself, although anyone could tell that he was pushing it.

Rua and Ruka had diligently explained to Carly and Jack the girl's ability of communicating and summoning spirits after they had reached their destination and Carly had gotten Jack to lie down and rest. Still unsettled with her experience tonight, Carly accepted the twins' explanation wearily. Yusei could tell that because of Aki, the words 'psychic duelist' had instilled a certain fear in the black-haired journalist that's hard to erase. And, like a passing cloud that had decided to linger, the words of the mysterious D-Wheeler also returned to Yusei, words full of Aki's suffering, Aki's hatred, Aki's vengeance.

But who had wronged her to begin with? It was she herself who killed and was thus punished. If she has any grudges for this, then it would only be a conceited, selfish vengeance. Yusei sighed. Had she changed into a completely new person in the brief time between her trial and the present, or did he really misunderstand her for all those years?

"Yusei," Ruka was looking up at him, "can you show us the card that you picked up?"

"Oh? Yeah. Sure." Yusei dug into his pocket and took out the card he obtained. "There."

Ruka cautiously took the card from Yusei. Carly craned her neck to have a look too. She read out the name of the card by the light of the lamp beside Jack's bed.

"Black Feather – Lone Silver Wind… Do you know this card, Yusei?" Carly asked after musing over it herself. She considered herself to be quite knowledgeable when it comes to Duel Monster cards, but she couldn't recall ever hearing that name.

Yusei shook his head too. "No, I don't." His blue eyes focused keenly on the person currently holding the card. "Ruka, what do you think?"

The young girl ran a small, tender finger across the surface of the card. "I… I don't know," she replied in a halting voice. "Would it be alright if I take this home with me?"

Yusei gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course, Ruka." While watching the twins studying the card, his eyes strayed to the clock on the wall. A worried look passed briefly across his face. "Ruka, Rua, it's getting late. You've both got school tomorrow. It's probably time for you to head home."

Carly stood up quickly. "I can drive –"

Yusei stopped her. "No, Carly. You've been through enough for tonight. I'll see them home."

Rua pouted at this decision, but Ruka nudged him with her elbow. "It's okay. We'll go back with Yusei on our Duel Boards." She echoed Yusei's words confidently.

At last, Carly assented hesitantly. With words of care, she saw Yusei and the twins out and stood at the window watching, until their figures have completely melted into the black night. Then, turning back to the room, she addressed the only other person left in the room.

"Jack, what do you think about that card?"

No reply.

Concerned, Carly crept closer to his bed. Jack was laying face up, his breathing even and slow, his slanted eyes closed in blissful sleep. His golden hair, spiky even when he's lying down, crowned his head like a rebellious halo. His pale face was peaceful, void of the sarcastic, mocking expressions that he displayed so often during the day. His chest rose and fell at a steady rhythm, reassuring Carly that the sleeper was alive and well.

Carly sighed with relief. Turning off the lights, she quietly left the room. The sound of her pattering footsteps could be heard as she made her way down the corridor and shut the door of her own room.

-XXXXX-

Moments after all sounds have ceased in the house, Jack's eyes fluttered back open. The steely glint in those purple irises had not even a trace of drowsiness from his feigned sleep.

The Satellite resident slowly sat up in the pitch dark room, careful not to disturb his wounds, old and new. Frowning a little, he turned towards the window, violet eyes narrowed in thought.

Black Feather – Lone Silver Wind. Yusei may not have heard of that card, but Jack has.

Barely two days ago, although now it felt so far away it might well have been another lifetime, the owner of that card had barged into Jack's audience room. In that crumbling theatre, open to the elements, he had delivered a mysterious warning to Jack. In hindsight, the blond man should have taken that warning more seriously. But what should he have trusted more? His own logic and instincts, or the strange words spoken by an old acquaintance that had not seen him face-to-face for almost three years?

Jack's hand moved to where he knew his birthmark lays. His fingers tightened around his arm. Something lay buried within those dark-red lines; something that have, at least for now, tied Jack with Yusei, a person that he thought would have the least to do with him in his life. All this have started just two nights ago, with his childhood friend's abrupt intrusion into his turf back at the barren promontory into the murky sea that is Satellite.

"Crow, what are you up to?"

Jack's quiet whisper could barely be heard even by himself. Glimpsed at between apartment blocks, the minute stars above Neo Domino City continued blinking mutely at Jack from the infinite blackness of the unlit sky. It seemed that his question would receive no answers. At least for tonight.


	6. I 6: Claw

This is one long chapter… oh well, hopefully you'll enjoy it.

**Chapter Six**

"Urk… Whaa…"

There was something ringing… so shrilly, somewhere in her house. She's got to find it… she's got to get up and answer it… answer it…

Oh dear. It's the phone.

Carly fell out of her bed in a jumble of arms and legs. Slippers on feet, glasses in hand, and dressed only in her pajamas, she tumbled out of her room. Running into the living room, she bodily bumped into the table that held the phone in her hurry and yanked up the receiver.

"Hh… hello?" She coughed to clear her dry throat.

"Carly! Why can't I get through your mobile?" A voice boomed on the other side of the line right into her ear. Carly winced. It was her boss, full of gusto, and channelling his energies into yelling at his underlings as always.

She massaged her temples despondently.

"I – er – sorry, boss." Carly gave up trying to find excuses. "Is there anything going on?"

"Damn right something's going on!" Accompanying the yell was a loud bang. It must be the boss slamming that desk in his office. Soon they may have to get another one. "You've almost missed out on a good scoop! Angela's gonna get there ahead of you now, so hurry up and get your arse to the Security headquarters as fast as you can. Hear that?"

"I –" Carly swallowed her words back down. "I'll be right there, sir."

"Good." The voice growled, a sense of grudging satisfaction calming it somewhat. "Don't think that your position is secured just because you gave me a few good stories in the past, Carly. I can still fire you whenever I feel like it, and there are always people waiting for your place in my newspaper. Remember that."

Carly sighed. "I know, sir."

"Then I expect a good article by eight o'clock."

The line disconnected with a beep. Carly put her hand to her mouth to cover the huge yawn that she could no longer keep down.

What time was it? It looked to be barely past six, with the horizon stained with the faintest hint of rosy pink. The air in the living room was slightly chilly in the way it is when autumn is on the verge of arriving. The City outside the window was lifeless and grey. Putting her glasses on the table, Carly shivered and hugged herself for warmth. Her fingers brushed past a large bruise at her side from last night.

"Ouch!" A sore pain shot through her. She staggered backwards, almost falling to the ground. However, someone grabbed her arm just on time.

"Still not awake properly, are you?" A stern sound came from a pale figure above her.

"J – Jack?"

Carly could feel her face blushing red to the ears. She struggled up, out of Jack's reach, and grabbed her glasses and put them on.

The whiteness of his coat stood out starkly against the dim room. Facing the window, he had a cup of hot, steaming coffee in his hand. The A-shaped earrings on his ears moved like pendulums as Jack tilted his head to fix his nonchalant gaze on Carly.

"Ah – what – why are you up so early?" Carly stammered out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Habit." Jack replied simply. He sipped at the coffee. "Going out on a job?"

"Y – yeah." Carly was eager to retreat to her room. "I'll be going soon."

"Wait."

Putting down the coffee cup, he took something out of his coat pocket. Then, with a move of his wrist, he threw something small and silvery towards her.

"Catch."

Carly missed. After picking it up from the floor, she stared at her spare key in amazement.

"Jack, how –"

"Keep it at a better place next time." He had turned back to the window.

"I – er –" Carly blinked. She wanted to ask Jack why he would say that, ask him what was going on, but the relentless ticking of the clock on the wall, so loud in the early morning's tranquillity, forcibly reminded her that she was already short on time for her job. He had turned completely away, making it clear that he will pay no more notice to her. Momentarily unsure of what to do, she swallowed and turned back to her room.

Jack's long, white fingers picked the coffee cup up again and move it to his lips, resuming the slow sipping of the poignant liquid. What he was looking at was the complex of high-rises that composed of the suburb of Tops. A man-made mount of luxury, a ziggurat of power, only the most elite of the City are granted residence there. Jack would spy the tall, dark shadows of the trees that grew in gardens terraced in steel and concrete, waving their foliage in the wind that accompanied such a height. That was where Yusei and the twins live, in a life so far away and yet now strangely close to Jack's own. Blinking, sending these sentiments to the back to his mind, the blond man mused over recent event once more.

Psychic duelist: that seemed to be what's holding everything together. First there was Yusei's odd question, then the presence of this strange girl, and finally its supposed connection with his birthmark. From the averted eyes and the tense vibe that permeates the air whenever it was spoken, Jack rightfully judged that the root of all these must lie in ethereal Tops.

Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of the well-brewed coffee all the way into his lungs. Something told him that soon, even him, Jack Atlus, a Satellite resident and a gang leader, might well be on his way to Tops whether he likes it or not.

-XXXXX-

It was just past noon. Panting under a scorching late summer sun, Ruka nursed her head with her hand as she staggered up the Tops hill from the Duel Academy near the sea. The tall buildings beside the asphalt roads offered her no help of shade. The little girl's steps quickened just a bit as she reminded herself of the pleasant, breeze-filled garden beside the sparkling pool of her house high up in Tops. That thought urged her on past the last steep rise, coming into view of the main entrance of the Tops suburb.

She had left school early today, troubled by a persistent headache that started up during second period and became almost unbearable around lunch. Rua would have called a taxi, but Ruka walked instead. She knew that fresh air would make her feel better, and she's not one to spend her parents' hard-earned money so casually. But now, she's almost ready to admit that she made a mistake. The dry, impassive sunlight far outweighed any benefit the fresh air conferred. Rua found herself longing for the cool dark shadows of her house more than ever.

_Ruka?_

The girl gave a small grin to the lion spirit that appeared beside her. "It's alright… I'm almost at Tops."

Regulus didn't say anything further. He simply walked beside her up the small hill that would at last lead her to the main entrance of Tops.

And it seemed like there was already someone waiting for her.

"Errr…"

Ruka couldn't help but take a step back. It was a black D-Wheel, in an all too-familiar shape with its bands of bright yellow streaking through its sides.

"Is he…" There was no need for her to say anything more. It has to be one of those men that she saw last night.

The D-Wheel's owner had gotten off the bike and was leaning against the tall, grey concrete wall that surrounded Tops. With arms crossed across his chest, his rough attire of an orange top, leather jacket, and green pants stood out incongruously among the astute surroundings, not to mention his spiky orange hair and pierced ears. As if alerted to Ruka's presence merely by her silence, he lifted up his head the same time she saw him and focused his cool, determined, steel-grey irises on her.

Ruka swallowed uncomfortably as she stared back at that face, riddled with Markers. Frozen on the spot, staring was the only thing that she could do as she watched the man lifting himself off the wall and walk slowly towards her.

"Oi, kid." He called out, his voice rough-hewn and abrasive. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you." He stopped a little away from her, his boots firmly standing their ground. "You just have something that I need."

The green-haired girl shook her head. Patty's small, helpless figure flashed past her eyes. How can that man still say this, even after what he did last night? Ruka's breath caught in her throat.

"Don't… don't come near me!"

The man lifted his chin with surprise at Ruka's sudden exclamation. For a split second, the determination in his eyes wavered, and was momentarily replaced by an underlying uncertainty. Then he tightened his jaw visibly and took another step towards Ruka.

"Listen, girl, if you simply give me what I want –"

"Is that what you said to Patty last night too?" Ruka didn't move back. An overwhelming surge of anger that she'd hardly never felt before welled up in her chest, pushing away the matter of her immediate safety if only for a little while.

"Patty…?" The man was dazed, as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"She's the girl you attacked last night. Is that what you said before you hurt her so bad… before you almost killed her?" Ruka's voice rose as she went on. Right now, she couldn't forgive this man for what he did to her friend. He was after her, but Patty had suffered in her stead. It almost felt like it was Ruka's responsibility – Ruka's duty – to face him for what he did to Patty.

Regulus was already growling beside her. The spirit spoke with a sound that only she could hear. _Ruka, if you want to, I'll take him down before he knows what hit him._

Ruka swallowed. She never was one to use the power of the spirits against others, but now that Regulus mentioned it, an unknown part of her perked up in agreement. Spirits can interact with the physical world without been seen by ordinary humans. If she were really to attack him…

The Marked man shook his head as if shaking off a bad dream. "That's enough," he muttered, then quickly approached Ruka with an arm outstretched.

Regulus leapt forward then. With a snarl, the lion landed on top of the man, its paws gripping the man's shoulders in a tight grasp. The man's grey eyes flew wide open with shock as he was slammed to the ground by an invisible force. The spirit had his entire weight on him, and the man's fears only increased when his struggles proved to be fruitless.

"Wait… Regulus!" Ruka hesitated for just a split second, then called out. True, she didn't feel sympathy towards the man, but – she knew how strong and dangerous Regulus can be. "Regulus, stop!"

Still growling in its throat and keeping a weary eye on the Marked man, the spirit stepped back and moved off the human. The man scrambled backwards, still sitting on the ground. His lips were quivering and, breathing in shallow, fearful gasps, he stuttered out a phrase almost unconsciously while staring at Ruka.

"Psychic… duelist…"

Ruka blinked at that familiar description. As if in habit, the first thought that came into her mind due to recent events slipped out of her mouth.

"Aki-san…"

"Izayoi…?"

When the man responded to Aki's name as if he knew her, Ruka paused. "You… you know Aki-san?"

The man returned Ruka's look; his stone grey eyes fixed solidly on Ruka's large, olivine orbs. Slowly, he got up. With a brisk movement, he brushed off the dust on his pants.

"So that's why Izayoi wants you." He said in a guarded, cautious voice. "You have powers too. Just like her."

"Aki-san wants me? Why? What do you mean by that?" The man's words had turned most of Ruka's previous anger into confusion. Being Yusei's close friend, she knew that the King of Riding Duels secretly believed that Izayoi Aki was still alive somewhere. While Ruka and Rua grieved themselves for Aki, who was also their friend and watched them grow up, they could only look on at Yusei's search with sympathy. The case had been so high-profile; would some underhanded dealings really have occurred somehow and for some reason spared Aki's life? The twins had consigned to the fact that Aki was never coming back, but what this man just said – a sickening feeling settled in Ruka's stomach.

"Then again, you people are powerless without your Duel Disk and cards." The man gave one more hard look at Ruka from top to toe, taking in all her small figure and then, apparently unfazed by the force that had just knocked him over, the man pounced on Ruka once again. Now that the distance between them was closer than before, Ruka wasn't given any chance to respond. She took one step backward without looking and stumbled on the edge of the pavement. He reached out, and his fingers were just inches away from her Duel Disk when Regulus's claw lashed out on him.

This time the lion was cutting him no slack. The sharp claws that it swung aimed at the man's neck with deadly precision. Eyes wide open, Ruka watched, aghast. Yet, just before Regulus launched its attack, the man jumped away – no, more like his body jumped back on its own – as if anticipating what was going on. Regulus fell on the concrete, a short distance away from its target. Sitting up, Ruka blinked in confusion. There was no way he could have foreseen Regulus's presence. But looking over at her attacker, Ruka caught a brief glimpse of a monster spirit fading away just on time. The shape that flickered and fluttered away in the wind was a humanoid bird wielding a giant sword, a monster that she's just became acquainted with last night.

"Lone Silver Wind…" Ruka muttered in amazement. It was very rare for spirits to emerge from her deck without her calling for them. For it to act without her, the card must have felt something – something very strong – towards that man.

"I see now… you are Crow-san!"

The man called Crow was looking at Ruka, absolutely bewildered.

"How do you know my name?"

"Regulus, wait! Don't hurt him! Please!" Ruka turned to more urgent business. Now that she knew who he is, she must prevent Regulus from dealing him any more harm. "He's Crow-san! Lone Silver Wind's owner!"

Slowly, Crow straightened himself. He planted his feet slightly apart and took a steady stance, and regarded Ruka wearily. This time, she answered his questions before he asked.

"Yusei picked up your card after you left," having established the identity of the man, Ruka walked forward tentatively. She knew enough about Crow just from what the monster spirit had told her last night. "He pushed you over, didn't he? I'm… I'm sorry about that." She lowered her head a little. "It must have hurt, to fall from a D-Wheel."

Crow glanced around him cautiously. Twice he had felt some unseen power pouncing on him from Ruka, and he wasn't going to let his guard down despite knowing that he probably won't be able to detect a thing if she really wanted to attack him.

"You're different to Izayoi," he muttered in a low voice, his slate-grey eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

"I communicate to monster spirits," Ruka didn't see the point in arguing about the phrase. If he knew about Aki, then the little girl didn't think she needs to focus on that issue. "That's how I knew your name, Crow-san. Lone Silver Wind told me that… last night."

And the spirit told her a lot more than that, too. Ruka had gathered that Crow, while he lived rough in Satellite, wasn't a gangster. He loves children, for one thing, and had taken a group of orphans under his care and tried to make a living for them in the most dangerous district of Satellite. He was not someone whom you'd expect to use violence on a girl that he barely knows.

"Crow-san, why are you here to attack me?" Ruka decided to ask.

"Nothing you need to know about." He grumbled a reply. Ruka's knowledge of his name unsettled him, just like how Aki's presence had unsettled him when he first saw her using her powers. Like most people, Crow had regarded psychic duelists as unreliable, if not outright dangerous. Even after getting to know Aki well, it seemed that he still couldn't shake off that fear from the depths of his heart.

"But judging from what your card told me, that's not the kind of person you are!" Ruka was dissatisfied with the reply. She could see that he was dodging away from it. What he had said beforehand bugged her. _That's why Izayoi wants you_ – did she tell Crow to attack Ruka? "You don't believe in using violence for everything, and you don't believe in beating up kids, either!" Crow flinched at that. "You must have something that's driving you to do this… but Crow-san, I don't understand. I know that you're here to hurt me… probably even to kill me," she swallowed, "yet I never did anything wrong towards you…"

"That's not how it is…!" Crow stretched out his hand without thinking. Too late did he remember Ruka was too far away from him for him to comfort her with a touch. Feeling awkward, he scratched the back of his head instead. "I just… need your deck. With that," he sighed, "maybe I can help the people I care about."

"You're a duelist too, Crow-san." Ruka replied quietly. "You'd understand that I would never give up my deck unless I understand why you need it."

"It'll save the people in my hometown, isn't that enough?"

"Hometown… by that, you mean Satellite?" She wondered out loud. "But then, Crow-san, why did you – want me?"

Crow gritted his teeth at that. In all honesty, he had been wondering about the same thing. He would gladly have sought out another way to achieve their goal if it existed, but Aki's conviction, Aki's hope, had persuaded him to believe her. Maybe in order to fulfil their dream, some sacrifices really are necessary.

But would he tell that to the little girl before him?

"I –" He took one step forward, but the words froze in his mouth. How can he possibly make Ruka understand that the weight of the entire Satellite is resting on the shoulders of only a handful of people, Aki and him included? How can he make Ruka understand the brutal contrast between her hometown and his own that prompted them to take control by force? Most importantly, since it appears Ruka knew Aki well, how can he talk about Aki's change of heart without inciting the little girl's incomprehension and subsequent anger?

Ruka didn't push him. She simply looked at him. She could have waited even longer for him to speak up, but she wasn't allowed that luxury. The distant siren of a Security petrol car sounded in the neighbourhood, and was getting nearer.

Crow startled. With his face, he can't afford being seen so close to Tops. He turned back towards his D-Wheel.

"Crow-san, wait!"

He turned, alarmed, suddenly having a vision of Ruka restraining him with her power and handing him over to Security by force. But what he saw was Ruka's small hand stretched towards him, holding Black Feather – Lone Silver Wind in her fingers.

"Crow-san, now that I've found its owner, I should give it back to you."

Crow blinked. "Than – thanks." He quickly replied, then jumped on his D-Wheel. Just then, a thought struck him. He turned back to ask her.

"Ruka, you know Fudo Yusei too, right?"

Surprised, she nodded mutely.

"Then – do you know if someone called Jack Atlus – recently had anything to do with Yusei?" Crow took the risk. With all the attention Aki was paying on Yusei, he had suspected that apart all their other targets may already have clustered around the King of Riding Duels.

"Huh? Jack – yes, yes he did. But – "

Crow didn't stay to hear Ruka's question. He got the answer he wanted. His friend was safe, at least for now. With that, he started his machine and accelerated, leaving Ruka in the dust.

Keeping her eyes on the direction that the man had ridden off, Ruka blinked as she digested that man's last words. She soon made up her mind on what she should do to make everything clearer. As for the Security motorbike that quickly whipped past her, the green-haired little girl barely took into notice.

-XXXXX-

"Let me get this straight. That girl Ruka from last night wants to see _me_?"

Carly nodded to Jack's incredulous question as she drove her car towards Tops. She could hear him sighing in the back seat.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"Nothing." He grumbled a reply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He doesn't like how his predictions this morning had become true so quickly. Moreover, he has no idea what that little girl would want from him. He had already gathered Ruka's family background from Carly. A spoiled rich kid is most certainly not his forte.

Not to mention Ruka was certainly far more than just a spoiled rich kid. She was a psychic duelist, no matter how hard she tries to deny it. Jack's hand moved to his Duel Disk and his deck for reassurance. He had insisted in bringing them along. Just for emergencies.

"Well, it's not like we get to go to Tops everyday." Noticing the rather tense mood in the car, Carly attempted to cheer it up. "Isn't it great that Ruka invited us, Jack?"

He did not reply. She sighed, and went back to driving silently until they reached the gates of Tops. Ruka had already arranged for the guard to let them through, and when Carly carefully parked her vehicle, they found that a familiar red D-Wheel had already arrived.

Jack barely gave Yusei's D-Wheel one fleeting look before he got into the lift with Carly to go to the topmost level, where the twins lived.

The three Tops residents were all sitting in the soft leather sofa of the living room when the door of the lift opened to show Jack and Carly the twins' residence. Yusei had his arms crossed over his chest, his blue gaze unwavering as he followed Jack's movement across the room. Ruka and Rua sat uneasily with their hands on their knees and their backs straight. The little boy periodically glanced upwards at the visitors with a weary look while his sister sat with her eyes focused on her feet, her lips pursed with a quiet determination. Seeing this scene, Carly quietly steered Jack towards two empty seats and settled down.

"So… uh…how are you feeling, Ruka?" With a beaming smile, the reporter attempted to make conversation. She found this brooding silence uncomfortable. Yusei may be inclined to bouts of contemplation, but certainly not the twins. Her heart sunk a notch lower when no one replied to her question. At length, Yusei opened his mouth.

"Jack, we need to speak to you."

Jack raised one eyebrow. "We?" He echoed.

Yusei ignored him. "You told us that you ran from Satellite because you were being pursued," he narrowed his eyes, "but you never said who or what was pursuing you. May I ask?"

Jack looked away. "I don't want to say."

Yusei didn't let go of his scrutiny on the blond man. "Perhaps, Jack, you were never chased at all." Unfolding his arms, he leaned forward. "Perhaps you came to the City with a purpose of your own."

Jack's violet eyes glanced back towards Yusei. "What do you mean?"

"I've been wondering about what you said," the blue-eyed young man went on slowly. "How could it be possible that someone has the guts to chase down Jack Atlus in Satellite, so much so that you had to run from the place altogether and risk being arrested? Maybe, just maybe, that someone never existed." Yusei sat back. "Maybe you being here is a part of something greater, something that may… bring harm to the City, where we live."

"Yu – Yusei, what's gotten into you?" Carly gaped. She never thought that Yusei would think of Jack this way. She was about to stand up when Jack put a restraining hand on her knee.

"Why do you say that, Fudo Yusei?" The Satellite man growled in reply. "What proof do you have of your accusation?"

"I… I met someone who knew you, Jack." With a sound small as the chirping of a cricket, Ruka voiced beside Yusei.

Jack and Carly both snapped their attention to the little girl.

"I met someone who knew you today, outside the gates of Tops. He was waiting for me there." Lifting up her head, Ruka repeated. On the other side of the sofa, Yusei was looking at her with a supportive glint in his eyes. "He knows you. He was…" she had to swallow, "he was one of the D-Wheelers who attacked Patty last night."

"What?" That slipped out of Carly's mouth before she could stop herself. She gave a quick look at Jack. The blond man's brows were furrowed.

"He was here… to get me and my deck." Ruka went on despite another loud, shocked gasp from Carly. "And he also said it was Izayoi-san – Aki's – order for him to do so."

Jack remained unmoved. "I don't get what you're saying, Ruka."

"He's the owner of that card from last night. Crow." The girl concluded. She was sure this will definitely ring a bell in Jack's head.

Sure enough, Jack stood up.

"You're right. I did know that guy." Looming over Ruka with his tall frame, he gazed down at her. "But I have nothing to do with that man, Ruka." He crossed his arms. "That can't count as evidence."

Rua looked at his sister, then at Jack, with apprehension. Jack wasn't finished yet.

"However, Ruka," with the girl remaining silent and Yusei merely looking on from the sidelines, Jack knew this was a chance for him to change his position in this conversation. "How do I know that you, a psychic duelist, is not in league with them?"

"What?"

That loud yell came from both Rua and Carly. Yusei, stunned, didn't even respond on time. Ruka also looked up at him, and Jack could almost see there were tears shimmering in those large, childish eyes. Life is unfair, no matter what anyone says, and Jack won't back down from this insult done onto him without dealing something back.

"This woman, Izayoi Aki, is a psychic duelist so wants to get back on all of you." Crossing his arms, Jack surveyed the ones sitting around him. "Haven't you thought of the possibility of other psychic duelists working with her while you're all so busying accusing me?"

"But Ruka just said it was that Satellite guy –" Rua rose to his sister's defence.

"What do you suppose an ordinary duelist do?" Jack's brusque bark quietened Rua instantly. "If Izayoi Aki really wants to revenge herself on the City, shouldn't she have picked some psychic duelists to help instead? What can an ordinary man achieve? Hoping that his opponent's D-Wheel malfunction and crashes into a lamppost?"

Rua swallowed, not knowing how to answer Jack's torrent of suspicion. Yusei's face was dark. He was about to rise to rebuke Jack when Ruka spoke up for herself.

"I can understand if you don't want to be connected to people from Satellite, people like Crow-san," Ruka's voice was low but adamant, her eyes staring into Jack's, quietly indignant, "but you can't simply accuse me of trying to harm the City and the people here."

"Oh?" Jack raised a nonchalant eyebrow. "Are you expecting me to believe what a psychic duelist says?"

"It's not –" She didn't see the point in arguing and decided to head straight to her point. "Jack, you must know something about this person. You must have some idea of what's going on. It's as if they're targeting all of us, but we still know nothing about them. Please, tell us what you know."

"You want me to tell you what I know?" Jack sneered. "Fine. Duel me."

Ruka blinked, too daunted for a moment to reply. For a moment, all the other occupants of the room were quiet. Rua was staring at Jack with his eyes wide open.

"If I lose, you can ask your questions," uninterrupted, Jack took out his Duel Disk with an experienced move of his hand and put his deck in. "But if I win, you stop bothering me about this and leave me alone from now on. Got that, kid?"

Ruka bit her lips as she took out her own Duel Disk and deck. She can accept that condition.

"Wait, Ruka!" Carly stretched out a hand to stop her. "Are you sure about this? Jack's not just any duelist. He's the King of Satellite!"

"Ruka was the junior champion too." Rua backed his twin up.

Yusei sat quietly, although tensely, through this. He didn't think that Jack would come up with this, but he simply watched as Ruka and Jack stood up and prepared to duel. Ruka was indeed a skilled duelist, and he knew the little girl needs chances to prove herself as well. After all, even if Jack did win, Yusei was sure they can still get information out of him no matter what.

Jack regarded Ruka while the girl prepared her deck. With his currently legitimate residency, and his face being free of any Markers, he had wanted to get on with his life properly in the City. While connections with people such as Yusei and Ruka can certainly prove to be useful, the presence of these important Tops residents meant attention from the Security and officials, too. Jack would be better off avoiding all that. Moreover, he had merely escaped into the City; he wasn't expecting to be here too long. When he returns to Satellite, he would like Yusei to know the least about him as possible, for fear that Security would track him down in the future.

And for that to happen, he would have to think of ways to get ride of this group of rich kids around him first.

Once they've shuffled and cut each other's deck, Jack took the first turn.

"I summon Mad Demon in attack mode, and place two cards face down. Your turn, kid."

Ruka glanced at her hand for only an instant before she made up her mind.

"I summon Rose Bird, with an attack of 1800. And I attack Mad Demon!"

Rua jumped off the sofa at his sister's decision. "Wait, Ruka, Mad Demon also has 1800 attack –"

Yusei gave the young boy a look that told him to stay calm and watch. Jack gritted his teeth. The girl knew her cards. When attacked, Mad Demon turns into defence mode. And with only 0 defence it wasn't going to stand up to her monster at all. What a waste of a perfectly good monster.

"Now I place two cards face down and end my turn." Facing Jack, who now has no monsters on his field, Ruka concluded her turn. Jack was displeased, but she had to be careful of any backup plans that she's sure that he would have.

"I start my turn by activating the trap Boosting Resurrection, which summons back Mad Demon from the Graveyard and increase its attack by 1900 points and raise its level from 4 to 5." Ruka took a sharp breath. "I'll also normal summon a level 3 Tuner Monster, Dark Repairer. Do you know what's coming next, Ruka?"

Ruka took a small step back but stayed her ground. The three spectators gritted their teeth. Jack was about to summon a level 8 Synchro Monster. "I did a deck check on him this morning," Carly whispered, knowing that Yusei had probably done the same since he met Jack. "You don't think it's gonna be –"

"The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Demon's Dragon!" Without hesitation, Jack called out the ace monster in his deck, the monster that had always defined him as a duelist. With a vicious snarl, the red-black dragon made a show of its cruel sharp claws at Ruka, its golden eyes blazing with the fire of battle. She acutely felt the mighty spirit behind the hologram, and for a moment Ruka was overwhelmed by the self-possessed power of this monster that Jack controlled, and she didn't miss the glint of pride that flickered past her rival's violet eyes.

"Red Demon's Dragon, attack Rose Bird!" Certain of his victory in this round, Jack declared his attack.

"I activate Rising Heat!" Ruka wasn't going to back down so soon. "By discarding one card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can raise the attack points of one monster by 1500 points. Now Rose Bird's attack points are 3300, higher than your dragon's, which is 3000."

"Sorry to disappoint, Ruka." Jack casually pressed the button on his Duel Disk to reveal his face down card. "I activate Roar of Pride, which makes my monster's attack points 300 points higher than yours at the cost of 1000 life points. So my dragon remains standing." While his life points dropped from 4000 to 3000, the hologram of Red Demon's Dragon blasted Rose Bird to smithereens. Ruka groaned and took the damage. Her life points decreased to 3700.

"It's your turn." As if she might forget, Jack said to Ruka matter-of-factly.

"I… I special summon the Tuner Monster Spore from the Graveyard, to which I had discarded it to due to Rising Heat." A round, white, fluffy ball appeared on her field. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Spore can be special summoned from the Graveyard by removing one other monster in my Graveyard from the game, and when that happens, the level of the removed monster is added onto Spore's monster level. I remove Rose Bird from the game, and Spore now counts as a level 5 monster as a result." Jack watched the fluff ball getting bigger as its level increased. The girl was obviously going to follow him and summon a Synchro Monster, but what?

"I normal summon Dreamsprite, which is a level 2 monster." Raising her hand, Ruka proclaimed the summoning of her own ace monster. "The holy light of protection! Now, associate with life. Synchro Summon! Illuminate, Ancient Fairy Dragon!" The sinewy, butterfly-winged dragon appeared behind her and snarled back at Jack's Red Demon's Dragon across the field. In front of his dragon, Jack was looking carefully at Ruka and her monster with some grudging appreciation.

"So this is your ace monster…" He muttered in a low voice.

"And now I'll show you what she can do. I activate the Field Spell Ancient Forest. Then Ancient Fairy Dragon's special effect allows me to special summon Regulus from my hand instead of attacking in this turn." Her familiar guardian lion appeared next to her and Ruka smiled to herself, feeling much safer than when she stood alone against Jack and Red Demon's Dragon. "My dragon has one more special effect. I can send a Field Spell from the Field to the Graveyard once per turn and move a Field Spell card from my deck to my hand and gain 1000 life points in the process. I now destroy the Ancient Forest on my field and move another copy of Ancient Forest from my deck to my hand." The tall trees brimming with shimmering green foliage that had just appeared as her Field Spell shattered into dust and her life point climbed up to 4700. "Now for Regulus's special effect, which allows me to move one Field Spell from my Graveyard to my deck once per turn." Having placed her first Ancient Forest back into her deck, Ruka ended her turn.

Jack had been rather confused when she fiddled with the Field Spell, but now he saw that this was a combo that her deck had been designed for. He wasn't feeling apprehensive, though. Facing her monsters, which were obviously weaker than Red Demon's Dragon and inferior to his deck's attacking power, he has no doubts about his own victory. "My turn. Red Demon's Dragon, attack Ancient Fairy Dragon! Absolute Powerforce!"

"No, Jack!" Being more informed about Ruka's deck, Carly couldn't stop herself from crying out at his mistake. Jack looked over puzzled.

"According to the effects of Ancient Forest, all monsters on the field are switched to attack mode, and whichever monster that declares an attack is destroyed at the end phase of the turn." Ruka spelled out the effects of the Field Spell to Jack. "But I won't allow you to take down Ancient Fairy Dragon either. I activate the trap card Mirror Wall, which will cut down your dragon's attack points by half, making it 1850, less than Ancient Fairy Dragon's attack points of 2100! Retaliate! Eternal Sunshine!"

With golden rays of light radiating out from its wings and scales, Ruka blue dragon fought back Jack's attack. Pushed back, the hologram of Red Demon's Dragon screeched and scattered apart into debris. Jack gritted his teeth as his life point dropped to 2750. He wasn't used to losing his best monster to the Graveyard so early in the game, but he now saw through Ruka's combo. Not only does the Field Spell prevent her enemy from attack her or laying effect monsters face down in defence mode, she can also fiddle with it to gain life points each turn, making her less vulnerable to attacks if the Field Spell is taken away. Jack's deck has always been focused on the offensive. This isn't something that he had prepared to deal with.

But what caught him in surprise even more was a dull pain that he felt on his right arm as the dragon's clashed. He grimaced and bore it, careful not to give out any other signs. Something was going on with his birthmark. The skin throbbed, ached, and felt as if a quick flame had just skimmed over it. Convincing himself that it must be the wound he got when he escaped from Satellite, Jack forced himself to focus back onto Ruka.

"Now it's my turn," seeing that Jack wasn't going to do anything else, Ruka drew. "I'll now use Ancient Fairy Dragon's and Regulus' effects to send Ancient Forest to the Graveyard, put my previous copy into the deck, and move a third copy from the deck to my hand." Jack didn't even lay down a facedown card after his attack last turn, and he now has a completely empty field. Ruka took her chances. "I now attack Jack directly with Ancient Fairy Dragon! Eternal Sunshine!"

Yusei sat up from the sofa, watching intently. Rua also jumped up. Jack's field was completely bare. If Ruka attacked him, he would have lost the duel… Would it really be that easy?

"Don't you dare think that I'm going to lose here!" Jack slammed a card down onto his Duel Disk. He had been waiting for her direct attack. "I special summon Battle Fader! This card can be special summoned when I am being targeted for a direct attack, and although it will be removed from the game at the end of the turn, it will end the battle phase immediately when it's summoned this way!"

Carly let out the long breath that she's been holding. Although she's known Ruka for longer, she didn't want Jack to be defeated so easily. Now that he finally got himself out of this one, at least for now.

"I'll play Ancient Forest again, and summon Kuribon in attack mode." Having her attack thwarted, Ruka played her defensive Field Spell again and summoned another one of her favourite monsters, a cuddly brown fur ball with a ribbon tied on top of its head. It squeaked at Ruka, and she replied with a smile. However, she used the chance to cast a quick glance at her right arm. It had suddenly itched very sharply when she repelled Jack's attack. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it. She rubbed it lightly against the hard surface of her Duel Disk and the pain didn't return. It shouldn't be something like a bruise then. Making a mental note to tend to it later tonight, Ruka turned her attention back to the duel, with her life points at 5700 and Jack's remaining at 2750.

"Ruka! You're doing great!" She could hear Rua cheering on the side lines. "Your life points are almost double to Jack's! Keep it up!"

"Tch." Jack drew his card with a hiss of irritation. "I activate the Spell card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Ancient Forest! Your shield is gone!"

"But she can still bring it back as long as she's got – oh!" Rua stopped mid sentence when he saw Ruka's troubled expression as she realised Jack wanted to break through her combo at all costs.

"I special summon the level 5 monster Vice Dragon. This monster can be special summoned when the opponent has monster on the field but I do not. Then I normal summon the level 3 Tuner monster Dark Resonator. Now then, I activate the Spell Shining Rebirth, which allows me to summon a Synchro monster in the Graveyard onto the field when the Synchro materials are present on my field. So return to the field, Red Demon's Dragon!"

With a chilling roar, Jack's dragon dominated the field once again. Ruka couldn't help but take a small step back, suspecting what'll come next.

"Red Demon's Dragon, destroy Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

"Ancient Fairy Dragon…!" Standing aside, Rua gritted his teeth. Yusei leaned forward, and Carly bit her nails. Ruka had no face down card. She was going to have to take the hit.

The hologram of Ruka's dragon went up in flames with the attack. Shrieking, its blue figure writhed and turned in the fire of Jack's attack before bursting apart into nothingness. Ruka bent down almost double to manage the impact of the attack – no, not only that. Her arm just acted up again and she had to clutch at it, whimpering at the scorching agony that felt as if it was boring into her skin. Something's gotta be going on; this had never happened during any other duels.

"I place one card face down and end my turn," despite his calm demeanour, Jack gritted his teeth as also he endured a sharp pain in his arm. Just then, when the dragons clashed, the jolt of stinging sensation was so sudden that he almost jumped. This duel needs to be finished soon. Ruka's life points were down to 4800. Although that is only a relatively small amount, Jack was confident he can get it down to zero. Having finished his turn, he could afford to put his left hand on his right arm to keep down the pain. Casting a quick look at Ruka, he was surprised to find that she was bending over and holding on to her arm as well. He turned his head to see what the others made of it. Yusei was standing up. The blue-eyed young man had sensed something was going on.

"Ruka," Yusei called out, "what's going on? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I – I'm fine." Wincing, Ruka drew as quickly as she could. "I place – two facedown cards, and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn. Draw!" Starting his turn, Jack was confident of his victory. "I attack Kuribon with Red Demon's Dragon!"

"Ruka…!" Rua exclaimed. If Jack's attack is successful, his sister will be taking a very large hit. He braced himself for it.

"I activate Kuribon's special effect!" Ruka was ready. "When this card becomes the target of an attack, I can return it to my hand to make my battle damage to zero, while increasing the life points of my opponent by the amount of attack points the attacking monster has at the time." She took her monster back to her hand, whereas Jack frowned at that. Was she really going to increase his life points? His hand moved to his Duel Disk, readying for a counter. His face down counter trap, Crimson Hell Flare, can double any direct damage dealt to his life points and reflect it back to his opponent as long as he has a monster on his side of the field with attack points higher than the initial damage. Hopefully, with Red Demon's Dragon on his side, he can manage whatever she throws at him.

"Now, I activate Mischief of Oberon!" Ruka opened up her face down. "This card can be activated when an effect to increase a player's life points is activated. This will negate that effect, and deal damage to the players equal to the amount of the life point increased! So now we'll both receive 3000 points of damage... Jack, I win."

"What?" Jack breathed, stunned. 3000 points… he could not counter that. He could not… defeat her. He could only watch, in amazement and more than a little of anger, as his life points plummeted to zero on his Duel Disk.

"Ru… Go Ruka!" Rua jumped up in the air. "That was amazing, Ruka!" Pointing at Jack, the little boy proclaimed merrily. "Now you'll have to talk – er, Jack, what's that on your arm?"

Jack growled as he pressed hard on his arm, trying to conceal the birthmark that was glowing – why on earth was it glowing? – with his left hand. Faced with Yusei, Carly, and Rua's curious stare, he forced himself to calm his breathing and glared back at them as if nothing was going on. He could have bluffed his way through, said something to get himself out of this, if it were for Ruka's sudden cry of fear some distance away from him.

"My… my arm! What's going on!"

Ruka was staring at her arm and the glowing, red mark emerging from it in absolute shock. The mark was hot, burning, as if she was being branded by invisible embers right at this moment. Shaking, she lifted up her head, only to see the same thing happening on Jack's arm, which was also glowing eerily bright. With a trembling hand, Ruka pulled back her right sleeve. What could be observed on her arm was a reddish mark, drawn in thick, brusque lines, that was emitting a crimson light.

"That's…!"

Carly and Rua turned around and Yusei's voice. They did not expect to find him staring, wide eyed, at Ruka's arm.

There was no mistake. That mark… that thing that was surfacing into Ruka's skin… it was something that looked awfully like a birthmark that he knew by heart. It was her mark. Aki's mark, in the shape of that horrid claw.

For the first time in his life, Yusei pleaded to whatever gods that may be out there to answer his questions.

-XXXXX-

"How could you… How could you, Jack! How could you ever accuse of Ruka of such a horrible thing! Does she look anything like a malicious psychic duelist to you? She's only a kid! And then you taunted her into a duel and got that… thing… on her…"

"Carly," knowing that he's fighting a losing battle in trying to calm Carly down, Jack nevertheless wanted to make this statement. "Calm down. This birthmark isn't infectious."

"That's… that's not the main thing I'm angry with!" Oh? So she's angry now? Jack put on his best I-don't-give-a-damn face and turned his head to look outside the window and tried his best to ignore her voice. "What I'm angry with is the fact that you're so heartless, so exploitative, and that you'd use everything and everyone to just stay in the City!" Since it's almost the middle of the night, Carly decided to throw caution to the wind. She slammed on the brakes and Jack, sitting in the back seat and wasn't paying attention at all, was caught off guard and his forehead went straight towards the back of the front seat. The blond man looked up furiously as he nursed his head. Now he's angry too.

"Carly! What the bloody hell are you doing!"

"What I'm doing, Jack, is trying to get you to listen!" Carly turned around to face him properly. "You own me an explanation this time. You know far more that what you're letting on. What's happening with Satellite, and why you're –"

"That's my line." Jack cut in abruptly. "You people are the ones who are keeping secrets. Tell me, what's Yusei doing? What does he want from me? And what does this," he pulled up his left sleeve and held up his birthmark to Carly's face, "what does this _thing_ mean?"

Carly blinked. "I – I don't know… but Yusei doesn't mean you any ill whatsoever, Jack. He's just trying to find someone who has the same birthmark as you. That's why he's been so interested; he believes there must be a connection between the two of you."

"The same birthmark as me?" Jack's heart skipped a beat. He had never even remotely heard of anyone with such a symbol embedded in their skin. His birthmark, to his knowledge, was unique. He knew that even as a young child. "Who is this person? Is –" the picture suddenly connected in his mind, "does she happen to be Izayoi Aki?"

Carly didn't want to tell Jack everything about Aki without Yusei's permission. She simply nodded.

"That would explain Yusei… and the kid." He stared hard at the mark on his arm. If that's the case, what would that make him? Would he really be a psychic duelist who just hasn't yet discovered his true strength?

"Jack…?" Seeing that he was more subdued and in thought, Carly ventured to ask him again. "So… do you actually know that guy called Crow, after all?"

"I do." Putting his right hand over the birthmark as if to cover it from his sight, Jack responded more quietly. "In fact, I saw him just before I left Satellite."

"You did?"

"Mm." He grumbled back affirmatively.

"So… what do you think he's planning, then?"

"He won't be planning anything," Jack answered, remembering that face which had faded so much in the past few years but brought abruptly back into sharp focus a few days ago. "Crow isn't one to plot. If this happened in the past, I would have said that it'd be Kiryu's plan."

"Who?" Carly was puzzled with this new name.

"Kiryu Kyosuke. Someone I used to know, a long time ago." Jack turned away. He had cut all his contacts with him once Kiryu entered that place, but Crow kept visiting Kiryu, God only knows how. Jack gave a small bite to his lip. He needs to focus on the things happening in the City, right now, not on some mouldy memories that he had already chosen to forget. He cackled bitterly. "Don't worry, Carly, I've got absolutely nothing to do with either him or Crow. Haven't had anything to do with them for years. Satellite is a complicated place. I had my turf and they had theirs. We didn't interfere with each other, at least not anymore."

"Not anymore? Jack…" detecting that small glint of turbid emotions in those purple eyes, Carly dared to question her thoughts, "did you know them well?"

"They were my best friends when I was a kid." He answered in a low voice. Short and simple as that.

_Jack, get out of here. They're gonna hunt the kings._

He still didn't understand what Crow meant with that when he barged into just a few days ago, but he took it as meaning someone's going to take down certain gang leaders in Satellite. Anyways, he had fled. He had convinced himself that maybe Crow's warning meant just that. Jack had called himself the King of Satellite; it made sense.

But this crazy adventure at the City forced him to think and remember too much. Memories seeped back into his mind, especially the ancient one that had occurred when he was still a little boy, running and screaming in the orphanage's earthen courtyard under the grey, polluted clouds and the languid sun. Martha's House had plenty of visitors at one time. And one of them, a tall man dressed in a white coat, had once taken a special interest and called Jack near him.

He had told little Jack that the birthmark he carried is the mark of a king.

-XXXXX-

Beep. Beep.

The static in the luminescent screen of the black D-Wheel splatter out intermittent sounds as it waited for the line to connect, all the way out the sea and into Satellite. In a dark back alley in the more shady parts of Neo Domino City, his armed crossed, Kiryu sat back in his machine, staring at the screen. Only his left foot, tapping spasmodically on the pedal of his machine, belied his impatience at the slowness of communication.

Beeeeeep. With one final, long note, the signal finally made it. Kiryu stared at the dark room that now showed up in his screen. The webcam on the computer that now linked to the D-Wheel was must be placed on a table near the centre of the room, and facing it was leather chair, currently empty.

Kiryu bent forward, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light of the screen, eerily bright in the alleyway coiling with shadows. "Aki…?" He said in a low, hoarse voice.

Immediately, there was a small crescendo of footsteps. "Kiryu. Finally…" As the voice got nearer, the sinuous figure of a woman almost floated into form in the blackness behind the chair. "I almost thought you wouldn't call tonight."

The tips of his lips twitched in with an appreciative smile while he watched her settling herself into the chair, long red fringe flying, long red dress fluttering. What a woman; Kiryu was more convinced of that every time he saw her. The crimson, tight-fitting outer jacket, belted just below her chest, accentuated her incredibly attractive shape. Meanwhile, the added touches of her long black gloves and thigh-length pitch-dark stockings unreservedly inserted into this seductive image a wild aura of brutality and power. Nonetheless, her giant steel hairpin, gleaming with a cold sheen right in her forehead, neatly balanced this feeling of animalistic strength with its emotionless practicality. Together with that icy beauty on her round, intelligent face and the banked fire that simmered in her rosy-coloured eyes, Kiryu knew he would be able to live off her presence alone, without need of food or water.

Unlike her previous lover, Kiryu Kyosuke knew he would die for her if needs be.

Noticing his intense stare, Aki furrowed her brows a little. "What is it, Kiryu?"

"Oh, nothing." He smirked. "Just staring at you."

She glared at him with a look even colder than usual. He just openly laughed at the strong armour that he knew she liked to put around her during serious work. Recollecting herself, she stared back at him. "Now's not the time to be laughing, Kiryu. News?"

"The hunt is going well," he grinned at the memory of Yusei's shock from last night. "They're all tumbling into us one after the other."

A satisfied smile briefly graced her lips. "And how's Crow?"

Kiryu's face darkened as soon as Crow's name was mentioned. "Don't remind me of that traitor again. He ran off this afternoon."

Aki was quiet. She didn't say anything, but the expression on her face was one of genuine shock, and her eyes urged Kiryu to say more.

"I think the take on the kid last night was too much for him after all," Kiryu explained. "I didn't manage to find him until late this afternoon. I tried to get him to come with me but the damn bastard managed to lose me. You better regard him as lost to us, Aki. He could even be back at Satellite by now."

Her glove-covered hands tightened into fists as Aki breathed slowly, trying to come to terms with the unexpected turn of events. "I don't believe it... Crow backing out was one of the last things I expected. I really thought he would have done better than this."

"Forget about Crow." Kiryu spat on the ground as he said that name. "What I care about right now is you. Really to come out and join the game, princess? I've been waiting for you to get to the City these past few days."

Her reply was vague. "Hopefully so. We'll see."

He sighed in mock exasperation. "Oooh. Really? Do you need to stay in a little longer?"

She looked straight at him in the eyes. "That is right. It seems that the City will not be our battlefield, but Satellite instead."

"What?" He yelled out loud, ignorant of the quiet surroundings. "Then what's the point of sending us into the City –"

"Things have changed." She interrupted him. "The failure to obtain Jack Atlus has altered our plan. He knows a lot about us, and through him it's very probable that people in the City would head towards us. The entire group might even arrive at Satellite very soon," she took a deep breath. "Uncle Goodwin had advised you to be prepared for a speedy retreat back to Satellite."

"And at Satellite, our home turf…" Kiryu was beginning to see what that may imply. He chortled with glee.

"Yes, at our home turf, we'll have them dancing right in our palms." A mesmerising smile also emerged onto Aki's previously serious, impressive face. But it wasn't one of mirth. It spoke of ecstatic excitement, of black longing, of insatiable hunger. "Before they knew, the city would have lost some of its most famous and important citizens, their King, and the twin children of their most wealthy entrepreneur. Be ready for that time, Kiryu. That's when my revenge – our revenge – will finally be completed."

Under the endless cloak of night, Kiryu's body shook as he finally erupted with mad laughter. Far more emotions than that of joy along rolled out as he let himself go in this crazy release of pent-up sentiments. Tears tumbled out his eyes as he did so. He let them fall like water poured on the hallowed altar in the anticipation of a ceremony, before the stone was to receive the red, pulsing, and tainted blood of its sacrifice.

And across the bottomless sea, in a muter and more constrained manner, with her hand covering her mouth, she was doing the same.

* * *

It wasn't easy trying to plan Jack and Ruka's duel. I stuck with anime cards and card effects, and a few cards that were necessary to make it run.

See you in the next update!


	7. I 7: Glory

Here is another chapter after a very very long gap... I just hope it meets your expectations XD

**Chapter Seven **

Staring up at the ceiling, aimlessly flexing his hand, tightening them into fists and then slowing spreading them back out again, Jack Atlus welcomed yet another listless, irritating dawn.

His defeat irked him. He's been lying awake for almost an hour, his purple eyes staring into the deep darkness before the first ray of the sun, and feeling the infuriating truth settling in. Taking a deep breath, Jack attempted to dispel the weight that seemed to have fallen onto his chest, but each inhalation only made it heavier. Making a low, growling sound, Jack pushed his hands deep into the mattress. The square walls of the pitch-black room simply swallowed his expression of anger like a soundlessly pit.

It has been a long time since he had lost a duel. In fact, probably not since he split up with Kiryu and Crow three years ago. To think that he braved through all these thugs in Satellite, only to lose to a mere City kid barely half his height… it was humiliating. Carly had said something about Ruka being the junior champion, but all that had simply flown over his head. The black-haired girl had then went on about how Ruka's deck was defensive to the core, made to block an aggressive deck like Jack's, and how it was understandable that he lost.

Bullshit. The fact remains that he lost.

Jack heaved himself out of the bed. It'd be a waste of time to keep this up any longer; it wasn't like he could actually go back to sleep. He got his clothes on in the dark. He deliberately ignored his Duel Disk and his deck lying next to his bed. He wasn't ready for that yet. Turning away, he walked to the window to pull open the curtains even though that he knew the outside would be as dark as this unlit room. He just wanted to look outside, even if it means looking at the ominous shadows the looming skyscrapers cast into the heavens. Anything to distract him.

The view outside was as he had anticipated. Although the night sky just before dawn had already cast off the gripping blackness it was instead cloaked in deep blue. Yesterday's clear weather had remained, and he now faced a fine velvety spread. Yellow street lights glowed dimly all around him in this rundown residential district, their monotonous and languid illumination casting a drowsy sheen to the deserted streets below. Having grown up rough in Satellite, Jack habitually scanned the streets around Carly's house for anything that may seem out of place. Grey concrete walls, dark bitumen streets, tightly pulled curtains behind steel window frames – this neighbourhood really isn't anything much. Jack let his eyes wander around the corner for just one quick glance before he would turn away and heads to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

That coffee never came. What he saw around the corner was the distinctive silhouette of a D-Wheel and its rider, starkly completely incongruous with the neighbourhood's lazy air. Parked directly beneath a lamppost as if bathed in the accentuating glow of a spotlight, the owner was wearing a red shirt that Jack knew only too well. The man was reclining back in the seat of his blue machine as if he was enjoying himself. When he lifted up his helmeted head, he looked straight towards Jack's window with the unmistakable accuracy of having known where the blond young man was all along.

Jack's throat sudden felt dry. He put one hand on his neck and rubbed it, feeling a slight acceleration of his pulse. He bit his lip. Kiryu was waiting outside for him. It was like when they were young boys again, with Kiryu coming to fetch Jack to fight it out with another duel gang that threatened their territory. Jack's heart clutched at the memory.

Down on the street, Kiryu raised his hand in salute towards Jack, and beckoned for him to come down as if it was just another game, another conquest to be made somewhere among the zones of Satellite.

Jack told himself to stay calm. It was just Kiryu, just like the old times. Play it like before, and no harm will come of it.

However, as he swiftly moved cross the living room of the apartment, he couldn't ignore the persistent feeling of unease, the sheer strangeness of seeing Kiryu here at this time. With a steady hand, Jack shifted through Carly's purse, which was left on the dining table, and took out her keys. He opened the door silently and closed it with equal prudence. She doesn't need to know about this.

Kiryu was leaning against the lamppost when Jack ran down the stairs and came face to face with him. Kiryu had taken off his helmet, and his long, silvery blue hair hung in long fringes over his face in the same way as Jack remembered it. Even the purple ribbon that he used to tie his hair up had remained intact. Jack could feel Kiryu scrutinising him carefully with those golden eyes of his.

"You've grown even taller, Jack." Kiryu broke the silence with that rather high voice of his. "And amazingly, you still haven't gotten a Marker on your face."

"Why are you here?" Jack stayed a few metres away from here. He was being cautious; he didn't know what Kiryu may have up his sleeve. The golden-eyed young man didn't have a D-Wheel the last time Jack heard from him. But then again, that was before he was sent away to that place.

"You're saying that you can come into the City at will, but I can't?" Kiryu spat on the ground. "I'm disappointed in you, Jack, seriously. I thought there would be no way in hell for you to lose to that rich little girl at Tops last night, but man, she made all your reputation go straight down the drain."

Jack froze, stunned. So Kiryu had been trailing him all along? The thought of his moves being followed annoyed him. He felt like a youngster again, following behind Kiryu together with Crow, as the older man guided them through the dangerous, winding paths of Satellite. In the light of what happened later, he had sworn not follow anyone blindly ever again. Being put in this situation was uncomfortable. And moreover, he had thought that he would never be this situation while he lived.

"What are you talking about?" Jack snorted. "You're a dead man, Kiryu. And the last time I checked, dead men don't pry."

Jack didn't miss the sudden rigidity of Kiryu's entire body. The thin eyebrows above the golden eyes furrowed only slightly, the only visible expression of the unconstrained, passionate fury that Jack knew was swelling up behind those yellow irises. Knowing that Kiryu was probably too angry to speak right now, Jack continued on.

"I know you have a grudge against me for leaving you," he stared straight back into Kiryu's face, which flinched as he said this, "but what's with the idea of going rampage over the City?"

"Oh, so the noble Atlus-sama is going to protect the City folks?" With a chilling grin, Kiryu spat out those words. He was still tense. Jack kept a wary eye on the distance between Kiryu and his D-Wheel.

"It's not a matter of protecting City folks. You want to know why my face is still clean and unmarked, Kiryu? It's because I don't go out and do things that literally ask Security to arrest me. I don't take unnecessary risks to harm myself, not like what you did."

Kiryu growled this time, a guttural, beastly sound that Jack didn't remember to have come out of his friend's throat before. "Is that still what you think? You ungrateful brat." He leaned forward towards Jack. "You still think that what I did was wrong?"

Jack kept his voice even. "Killing Securities aren't ever going to free Satellite. You should know that."

"Jack, are you telling me that you still don't think about revenging your homeland?" Kiryu gritted his teeth. "Do you still not think about how to get it out of the City's shackles and do something useful for Satellite? You have no right to talk to me like that when I've been having concrete advances while all you do is protecting yourself."

Jack tilted his head. There was something new in Kiryu's words that he didn't hear before, even in his friend's maddest ravings. Dismissive as he was, he was intrigued.

"We simply had the misfortune of being born in the wrong side of a narrow land bridge, Jack." Seeing Jack's interest, Kiryu's face softened. He didn't come here to fight with Jack, and he reminded himself of the task that Aki had hoped he would be able to achieve. "Don't you think it is unreasonable to judge people just based on their birth like that? These people in the City, no matter how corrupt and despicable they are, they still have the rights to live in luxury. And what did we have while we grew up?" Kiryu took one stop forward. "Jack, don't you want to change that? Don't you want to reign over a Satellite prosperous and powerful enough to rival the City?"

"What are you getting at, Kiryu?" Jack replied simply.

"Would you like to join us to free Satellite, and shift the balance of power to our hometown?"

"That's exactly what you said back then. How would you do that this time?" Jack frowned. "You're gonna take on all the Security and the infrastructure with your D-Wheel?"

"Not just that, you fool." Reaching for his Duel Disk, Kiryu disconnected it from his D-Wheel and held it up in the lamp light for Jack to see. It was a strange thing, unlike any other Duel Disks Jack had ever seen, and was inky black with curved, ominous wings on either side of it. An unsettled feeling stirred up within Jack, but he couldn't name the reason. Kiryu was holding it delicately in his hands as if it was something extremely precious, something he might even risk his life to protect.

"What is that, Kiryu?"

"Can't you tell? It's a Duel Disk," an intoxicated grin emerged on Kiryu's face, "a Duel Disk that grants you the power of psychic duelists."

"What... did you say?"

Jack caught his breath. How was that possible? The powers of the psychic duelists – the ability to materialise empty images – endowed upon a Duel Disk? What fiendish conception has been created to allow anyone to have such strengths? Thinking back to his experience in the past few days, Jack involuntarily shivered. He didn't like psychic duelists, just like everyone else, but he may well have accepted Kiryu's offer had he remained the same person who lived in Satellite. He admitted that the prospect of having such a power was indeed tempting, and he would easily have given in to it. But Yusei's obsession with it, Carly's vague replies when Jack asked her about it, and Ruka's victory that still grated on his mind made Jack instinctively wanted to get away from it as far as possible. Moreover, it was Kiryu who's standing in front of him offering it. True, they were best friends, but Jack no longer knew whether it was wise to still trust this man before him.

"Hesitating now, are you, Jack?" Kiryu smirked. "Don't worry. It's nothing dangerous." He leaned forward again. "But you know what? A man can do anything with this. There's no need to fear the Security, no need to grovel before the City folks. Imagine what would happen when we use this on our enemies, Jack. We would get back at the City for the persecutions they've been dealing to us all this time, and not just that too. We'd be invincible. Invincible, Jack! All you need to do is to agree to come with us and we'll be given this omnipotent power to rule over all duelists for real!"

"You're mad, Kiryu."

Jack squeezed those words out between his teeth. That was the only conclusion he could draw. He could not otherwise rationalise the other's mad dreams and ambitions about conquering the City using those unholy, forbidden powers.

Kiryu gave him a look. "Only mad men have the determination to do what others don't dare to do." He gave a crooked grin. "So, what's your answer, Jack? Are you going to walk away from this once-in-a-lifetime chance? Are you going to walk away from this power that some people may even die to get?"

"They can die for all I care." Jack growled a reply. "I'm not taking that thing from you, Kiryu, especially not after the Black Rose Witch hunted me down during my last night in Satellite."

"So you figured it out," Kiryu glanced coldly at Jack. "Then you should know the consequences of rejecting our offer."

"'Our' offer?" Jack mimicked his words. "Don't screw with me. What exactly happened in there?" He fixed his purple eyes on the other man. "What on earth did you do to that woman Izayoi Aki?"

Kiryu narrowed his golden eyes. Jack tensed; he felt as if Kiryu was going to lunge towards him with that anger that he still remember vividly. But nothing came of it. Kiryu simply shrugged, as if dismissing everything that Jack had said, and walked back to his D-Wheel and got on it. He started the engine. Jack saw no point in stopping him.

"I knew you wouldn't come over to our side, but she told me to try. It was probably meant to be this way. See you later, Jack."

Then he left, his engine loud and pounding in the still silence of the City that has yet to awaken to the day. Jack observed Kiryu leaving. At the moment, there wasn't anything he could do to stop Kiryu. He knew he had been right about the guess concerning Izayoi and the Black Rose Witch who was roaming the back streets of Satellite in recent times. It didn't take a big leap in logic to conclude that she must have been there too, been to the same place that Kiryu was locked up in. If only he knew what Izayoi did to cause such a situation, then everything would fall into place.

Jack looked up, back towards Carly's apartment. He had wanted to leave everything alone, but since his old friends had made it obvious that they were going to drag Jack into this business whether he likes it or not, he decided to throw in his lot. He remembered the deal he had make with Ruka before their duel last night, and Jack Atlus had never been someone to go back on his word. If Yusei wanted to know the story, well then, Jack would tell him everything.

-XXXXX-

Yusei stood on the balcony of his home and felt the glorious warmth of the rising sun settling on him. Eyes half closed, he sighed contentedly in the invigorating morning air. Located at a high point on Tops, the Fudos' house had an unobstructed view towards the Neo Domino harbour and the sea. The light of low sun gradually dispelled the early mist draping over the water and the houses down in the City, and Yusei spied the streetlamps going out one after the other as the golden fingers of dawn crept along the concrete rooftops and streets. He signed again, appreciating the serenity of this scene over the sleeping City. Putting his hand on his brow to shield the light, Yusei looked out to the sea, to the place that he knew is out there.

"I wonder if the sunrise is the same in Satellite…"

That murmur simply slipped out of his mouth. Yusei frowned, even though he was still looking at the same beautiful scene as he was seconds before. A little while ago, Jack had called him on Carly's phone, and said that he wanted to see Yusei as soon as possible. After receiving the call, Yusei had arranged with the guards at the main doors of Tops to let the Satellite resident through. He was mystified about Jack's motive. Nonetheless, he was determined. If Jack was going to talk, Yusei won't stop him.

The blue-eyed young man sighed, his breath turning into a puff of white fog in the chilly air. Aki didn't talk to him while they were together. Yes, he knew she was worried and she was hurt, and he had always reassured her that he'd be there to listen. But then she shut everyone out when she really needed to talk. She would glare coldly with her almond-shaped, amber-coloured eyes, piercingly and angrily at all the world around her with deep enmity. Yusei had decided to not push her. He believed that people can only start to change when they're ready to take that step forward, and he wanted Aki to find her peace at a pace she's comfortable with. After all, isn't that how every teenager grew up? We were all angry at the world once upon a time, thinking that no one understood us, thinking that there's no point in speaking out our pain.

Now Yusei's alone on this balcony where Aki and him used to watch the sunrise as kids, and regretting he had let her find her own path. Aki wasn't like everyone else. She didn't reach out for help or comfort like everyone else. She locked herself in, deeper and deeper, brewing all her emotions behind a cold and carefully crafted facade until it erupted all at once. Yusei wished he didn't leave the City as often back then. Aki showed him a content front during the brief times they had together between tournaments, and Yusei had thought that everything was going to be alright, that Aki had come to accept and grow into herself. He was very wrong.

He was expecting Carly's ancient little yellow car when he heard the sound of an engine heading towards him. Yusei peered down from the balcony, only to see a D-Wheel with its seat placed in the middle of its giant wheel approaching him, the steel of the contraption shining silvery-white in the morning sun. The rider was dressed in a similarly stainless white riding suit and donned a blue helmet. Screeching to a stop outside the garage of Yusei's house, the white machine tilted backwards a little and rested easily on the ground as Jack stepped off and removed his helmet. As if knowing where Yusei would be, the blond man looked straight towards the balcony and caught Yusei's eye. For a while the two held each other in their sight, neither of them peeling their eyes away.

Yusei shifted first, signalling that he's going downstairs to open the main door, and left the balcony. Moments later, the Fudo's front door creaked open, and Jack stepped in wordlessly. A modestly furnished lounge greeted him, comfortable and sufficient but without extravagance. As to be expected from this household.

"A seat?" Yusei motioned towards the sofa.

Jack took the offer and sat down, placing his helmet on the floor beside his feet. Yusei sat down too in the seat across from Jack. It was the blond man who broke the silence.

"I'm not here just because of that wager I made with Ruka yesterday," he grumbled. "Don't get me wrong."

Yusei let out a long breath. "Fine."

"I heard that you are interested in me because of my birthmark, how it's similar to Izayoi Aki's."

Yusei shifted his gaze. Jack was looking straight towards him, those purple eyes unblinking.

"Is that true, Yusei?"

"Would that matter?" Yusei replied cautiously. "That wouldn't have much to do with what you're going to tell me."

Jack blinked.

"Yusei, let me ask you two more questions. Aki Izayoi – she is a powerful psychic duelist whom you think is currently in Satellite, right?"

Yusei nodded slowly.

"Why would you think she's there?"

It was a simple question, but Yusei found it very, very difficult to answer.

"She made a mistake. She… committed a crime." Those words were squeezed out of his mouth as if their mere sounds grated on his tongue.

"A crime?" Jack repeated his words questioningly.

"It was unintentional, but what she did was definitely outside the scope of law." Yusei continued in a low voice. "But I have reasons to doubt that the sentence wasn't carried out. I believe she has been secretly transported to Satellite." He looked back up at Jack.

"So when you saw my birthmark, you naturally thought that I, a Satellite resident, might somehow be connected to her." Jack concluded. "Sorry to disappoint you, Yusei, but I've never heard of her my entire life."

"I figured." Yusei replied.

"But there is something that I can tell you." Jack crossed his arms. "Have you ever heard of place called – Rosewood?"

Yusei shook his head. The name was alien to him.

"What if I tell you… that's where the City stows certain people that it doesn't want to deal with strictly according to the law?"

"You mean…?" Yusei caught his breath.

"That's where all the troublesome outlaws are sent." Jack continued. From the surprise and trepidation in Yusei's eyes, Jack knew it fit the profile that the other man was looking for. "And by troublesome, I meant criminals that the City had to save in order to preserve its standing. They can't be killed, but had to be hidden away from the public sight. Isn't that what you think happened to Izayoi?"

Yusei let out the long breath that he's been holding. He was terribly relieved. If what he suspected was true at all, then this place called Rosewood would be the location that he's been searching for. However, at the same time, uncertainty crept up his heart. If he cannot find Aki there, does that mean that she's indeed gone and he's been stubbornly chasing an illusion all this time? Worse still, what if she had really escaped from that place already, and is truly planning that revenge the other man spoke off?

Jack paid close attention to the King of Riding Duels in front of him. A sliver of doubt fluttered past in those usually firm blue eyes. The blond man frowned a little. Yusei must still be digesting this new piece of information, but Jack wasn't finished just yet.

"But there's something you need to know. The entire complex of Rosewood burnt down sometime ago before I left Satellite."

Yusei glared at him.

"Almost everyone in there, guards, prisoners, medics, died a great fire. Nothing but black ashes was left when the fire service and Security got there." Jack didn't cut Yusei any slack. "If you went to search for Rosewood Institute a few months ago, you might have found it. However, you won't find anything now."

Yusei slowly shook his head. "If everything is gone," he replied steadily, "then what's going on now wouldn't be happening. Moreover," he stared into Jack's purple irises, "you wouldn't have bothered to tell me this."

Jack looked away. "A few weeks after Rosewood went down in that fire, we started to have someone roaming around Satellite at night. There were rumours about how it was a ghost out of that place, but no one believed it. That is, not until they saw some of the devastations that person did. Pretty damn terrifying, with entire streets ripped apart and buildings blasted from the inside out. Still, I dismissed it, until the day that person actually chased me out of Satellite and I had to run into the City."

Yusei pressed with his questions. "So he was the one who dared to chase you out of Satellite?"

Jack gave him a grave look. There was a pause.

"No, it was a woman, wrapped in a black coat with a fiery red Duel Disk." He swallowed. "They called her… the Black Rose Witch."

Yusei felt his knees go weak even though he was sitting down. He clutched at the sofa with his suddenly sweaty hands. Events were clicking together in his mind.

"Now, Fudo Yusei," Jack asked, "you know Izayoi Aki better than I do. What do you think is happening?"

Yusei put his hand to his forehead and shut his eyes momentarily. "Why are even telling me this, Jack Atlus?" He muttered a reply. "What can you gain with letting me know about Aki in Satellite?"

"In Satellite?" Jack echoed Yusei's words. "I thought you knew that she's already aiming for the City?"

"How… did you know that?"

"I was approached by one of my former acquaintances early this morning." The meeting with Kiryu flashed past Jack's mind. "He seemed to have known Izayoi… while at Rosewood."

_There's gotta be more to it than that_. Jack's mind echoed with that thought, but he didn't tell Yusei. Kiryu must have met Izayoi Aki while at Rosewood, and somehow has figured out a way to harness her powers. Now, the question is did Kiryu really believe in his mad dream of freezing Satellite through brutal force, and had he managed to convince Izayoi Aki into joining this plot that had almost gotten Kiryu himself killed once already? Jack didn't really care, to be honest, and yet Kiryu decided he still want to get Jack involved. Jack wasn't sure that he can stand up to a powerful psychic duelist such as Izayoi if he opposed Kiryu. But Yusei, with his bonds to her, may be able to.

"He's the one who chased Ruka the other night," Yusei murmured, "isn't it?"

Jack nodded, not seeing the point in telling a lie.

"Does he also know that man called Crow?" Yusei pressed on.

Jack narrowed his eyes, irritated at how persistent Yusei is about the issue. "Yes," he conceded at last, "we grew up together in Satellite."

Leaning forward, Yusei refocused on Jack. "He did more than just approached you, didn't he, Jack?" Jack's eyes widened just briefly, but Yusei caught on. "He must have mentioned Aki to you. You felt threatened, and thought it'd be best to tell some things to me?"

Yusei thought Jack would fume at him. But to his surprise, Jack looked away. "Kiryu's mad." He muttered in a low voice. "He must have seen Izayoi as a wonderful weapon to take over the City and Satellite. Even if I don't want to get myself involved, he's not going to allow me to turn back now. I still remember when Izayoi chased me into the pipe leading to City on that night…" his voice trailed off, seeming unwilling to remember what he went through. With a small cough, he regained his composure. "That man – Kiryu – he was one of my best friends." He swallowed. "Even when we were kids, he had the dream that he would liberate Satellite from the City's rule. We thought it was a good idea… until he took matters into his own hands and almost beat a Security officer to death."

Yusei let out a breath. "I'm amazed that he's still alive."

"That's what everyone thought." Jack conceded. "But obviously… he was sent to that place."

Yusei didn't reply to that, nor did Jack continue. The two of them sat silently for a little while, each immersed in his own memories of that friend that he used to know. With a sigh, Yusei was the one who broke of the reverie.

"Would I still be able to go investigate Rosewood?"

"Go investigate?" Jack's voice was doubtful. "You don't mean –"

"I want to see that place myself," Yusei answered Jack's thoughts. "Besides, I have a suspicion I want to confirm."

Jack tilted his head incredulously. "You don't think… Izayoi herself burnt down Rosewood?"

The ends of Yusei's mouth twitched in a pained grimace in confirmation.

-XXXXX-

His early meeting with Yusei being over, Jack was riding his D-Wheel back to Carly's place in the risen morning sun. His unique D-Wheel attracted quite a few looks from the drivers of other vehicles, but he was too lost in his own thoughts to notice.

Yusei had asked him to accompany him into Satellite, a request that Jack had begrudgingly agreed with. He wasn't too keen to go back to that place, but it wouldn't hurt to see how things are doing back there. Yusei grunted. This is really getting too complicated with too many old acquaintances and too much buried emotions being involved. Jack Atlus was used to being decisive with only himself to look out for. This isn't his forte.

For one moment he really felt envious of Yusei, and even of Kiryu. Yusei, because the little brat grew up so comfortably in the City, and even if he lost what was most dear to him he could afford to search for it and get it back. Kiryu, because he stayed true to his wishes – however mad it might be – and is actually making good progress with companions that shared the same aspirations as him. What does this make of Jack? All the blond young man wanted was to be king, and had worked hard to achieve that in Satellite. Yet it was all nothing. He had ran, defeated, from Izayoi Aki, and lost all that by coming into the City as a fugitive. He knew very well that had he not being saved by Yusei, he would be in a detention centre for good by now. The feeling of being dependent on the King of the City, a man who represented in the establishment that Kiryu and Crow and Jack grew up detesting, was nauseating.

Without him noticing it, the road had led him close to the looming Duel Stadium. The white sunlight was reflecting off its shining roof tiles, blinding him in their brilliance. The main entrance, a gaping hole of comfortable darkness, was open and awaiting for whichever rich City duelist had booked it for the day. Jack let his gaze move up the building's grandiose curves and imposing lines. It was a place that he had always associated with the luxury of the City. It was a battleground reserved for the King of Riding Duels, Fudo Yusei.

How ironic would that be if Yusei were born into Jack's place.

Jack shook his head. Tearing his gaze away from the stadium, he kept his focus on the road heading back to Carly's place.


	8. I 8: Descent

**Chapter Eight **

Ushio hung up the phone with a heavy heart at Neo Domino City Security Maintenance Bureau headquarters. The beep indicating the end of the call sounded flat and resolute, its ensuing silence echoing in the sudden emptiness of his office.

"Ushio-san…" Mikage was standing opposite his desk, looking at him with desperate eyes.

"It can't be helped, Mikage-san." Ushio shook his head. "Security can't keep lying to him forever."

Mikage slumped onto a chair. "I tried calling him as soon as you told me what was going on… but he won't talk to me. I don't know… I don't know how anyone's going to break the news to him." She bit her lip so hard Ushio was worried she might actually break the skin. "Can't you just tell him it never existed?"

"I'm sorry, Mikage-san." Ushio walked around his desk to sit next to Mikage. Hesitant at first, he nevertheless patted the woman's shoulders in comfort. "But when Yusei called up specifically asking for Rosewood, I don't think there's any way that Security can hide the truth from him anymore. He was actually doing us a favour by calling me first. Imagine if he went straight to the Archives or some other department – what a mess that would have been."

Mikage heaved a heavy sigh as well. "Then… how much are we going to tell him?"

"You meant how much _am I_ going to tell him, right, Mikage-san?" Ushio gave a grimace. "You don't need to be dragged into this."

Mikage lowered her head. "You know that I knew what was going on all along, Ushio-san. There's in no point in trying to hide that from the King either."

Ushio gave a crooked grin. "Yeah, I suspected you had other duties when the Director assigned you, a Security officer, to be Yusei's secretary."

Mikage frowned. "I don't know how he found out about Rosewood, though. You don't think…?" She looked at Ushio with troubled eyes.

"I don't think any of us who knew would break our promise and tell him about Izayoi." Ushio shook his head. "I'm not sure of that either, especially since he sounds so certain of it. Somebody must've shown him some concrete evidence to convince him that much."

"Well, Ushio-san…" Mikage went on cautiously, "how much do you know about Rosewood Institute?"

"Just a bit here and there." He muttered. "I looked it up in the Archives department after the Director told me Izayoi had been sent there. I knew it's used to store certain convicted criminals, and how it poses as a hospital to the public in Satellite. There was a lot of information, but nothing important."

"I see." She nodded. "That's all I know as well… The Director never talked about it. I didn't even know Rosewood existed before Izayoi Aki's incident."

"I don't understand why we need to have a place like that." Ushio frowned. He doesn't like the idea of keeping condemned prisoners alive and hidden for god knows what reason. "We have enough detention centres to keep prisoners. If Security doesn't want to execute people, they can just abolish the death sentence."

Mikage shook her head. "I brought that up with the Director as well, and… it was a strange answer that he gave me."

"Hmm?" Ushio's curiosity was piqued. He also felt there was something underlying those words, making Mikage's tone even more hesitant and cautious than usual.

The female Security officer went on in a low voice. "He said Rosewood was built to lock away a catastrophe that almost occurred a long time ago. And… if Rosewood is shut down, it would release that destructive fate the City had narrowly averted back onto us."

Ushio blinked.

"Wow. That sure is… something."

Mikage didn't reply to that. She sat for a while, lost in thought, then she slowly delivered a question to Ushio.

"Ushio-san, do you trust the Director and the Security force?"

Ushio was taken aback. "Of course I do, Mikage-san. Why are you asking that?"

"If you do, then let's stop questioning whether Rosewood is really necessary." Mikage looked away. "Let's just consider Rosewood… as simply another facility that Security must run behind the citizens' back to ensure their happiness and safety."

"Yeah…" Ushio trailed off. "I better get back to the problem closer to me. I need to process Yusei's request to enter Satellite."

"I know." Mikage sounded concerned as well. "I don't think for the King of the City to go into Satellite is a good idea."

"Since he asked, then I kinda have to, don't I?" Ushio scratched his head. "There's one problem, though. Yusei was hoping if he can get in Satellite tomorrow, and he wants to bring Jack Atlus with him."

Mikage turned around in genuine shock. "So urgent, and with Jack Atlus? Did he explain why?"

Ushio watched as Mikage briefly struggled with her expression, which threatened to contort itself. He knew she does not approve of the eagerness Yusei has of pursuing Izayoi Aki and his willingness to even enter Satellite in such a rush. Frankly, he wasn't too pleased with Yusei's close acquaintance with Jack Atlus either.

"Nope. That's beyond me as well." He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "But we can definitely ask Yusei about it when he gets here. Speaking off, he should already be on his way."

The loud beeping of the phone on his desk intercepted their conversation just on time. Both Mikage and Ushio looked up. _It's gotta be Yusei_; he know that thought must've flashed through her mind as well. Stretching out his hand, he pressed a button on the phone.

"Yusei." He started with a grave voice. "Come up. We –"

"So what I've heard is true then." Instead of Yusei, a small hologram of Director Goodwin appeared above the phone instead. Ushio clamped his mouth shut, regretting that he had so easily assumed it'd be his friend. He quickly gathered himself to answer that stern, paced voice of the man who was in truth the most powerful person in Neo Domino.

"Yes, Director." Ushio hastily saluted.

"I see his Satellite pass applications are coming through." Goodwin lowered his head as if reading something on his desk. "Do you plan to approve them?"

"Yes, Director." Ushio repeated.

"I trust there will be a Security escort for him tomorrow, then?" Goodwin asked, not lifting up his head.

"Most certainly, Director." Seeing how Ushio suddenly became silent because he didn't think of that issue, Mikage stepped up to answer Goodwin. "I will definitely arrange for an escort to ensure the King's safety."

Goodwin just nodded.

"Director," in the brief silence that ensued, Mikage gathered her courage to ask a question that she's being wondering, "will you not refuse the King's application?"

Shaking his head, Goodwin gave a smile that could almost be considered as bitter. "No, I will not, Mikage-san."

"But…" Mikage stuttered. "But do you really want him to meet Izayoi-san?"

"That, Mikage-san, is not my intention." Sitting up and looking directly at his subordinates, Goodwin straightened his posture. "On the contrary, I would rather hope that by seeing Satellite with his own eyes, Yusei will no longer be so obsessed with a criminal who had already been condemned by law."

Mikage looked sideways uncomfortably. "I am sorry, Director, for not succeeding in getting the King's mind off the issue after the end of the case. I had thought that he had put all his energy into the duelling season. I did not expect him to be looking into the Izayoi family's transactions and Security internal documents. It is my fault that the situation had deteriorated to such a degree, Director."

"I do not blame you, Mikage-san." Goodwin answered coolly. "However, as Yusei's secretary, I expect you to be more attentive of his thoughts in the future. Do you understand?"

Feeling a hint of cold anger in Goodwin's voice, Mikage nodded and gave a bow.

"I do confess that even I did not foresee this." Goodwin continued. "Yusei is the last person I expect to have any reason to go to Satellite. More importantly, I did not expect him to have an even greater connection to Satellite. Is this Jack Atlus, whom Yusei has been frequently associated with during this week, really the man they regard as the king of the petty gangs in Satellite, and of whom I heard has recently successfully migrated into the City as a legitimate citizen?"

"My blunder, Director." Ushio hastily gave a bow as well. "I got the documents approved because Yusei was asking for it, and also because I couldn't get Jack into a hospital without migration papers. I should have –"

"Enough." Goodwin put up a gloved hand to indicate silence. "I heard about what happened from the hospital. I'm afraid that I won't be granting him the right to visit Satellite, though. I cannot afford him to stir up more trouble in that district."

The two Security officers nodded silently.

"It is Jack Atlus's luck that Yusei was the one who found him, not the Security officers who should be patrolling the area." Goodwin mused. "Although I am curious – is Jack Atlus the one who may have piqued Yusei's interest in Satellite?"

"I do not know, Director." Mikage answered truthfully. "Frankly, I don't think Jack would have any connections with the place the King is interested in."

Goodwin narrowed his frosty grey eyes slightly. "The place… Yusei is interested in?"

Mikage and Ushio gave each other a look.

"Director, do you not know… where Yusei is interested in going?" Ushio ventured to ask.

"I'm afraid that I do not." A rather puzzled look emerged on Goodwin's lined face. "That was not mentioned in his application."

"Director, the place that the King wants to go isn't just anywhere in Satellite." Mikage swallowed. "It's the Robb-Lewis-Henley Memorial Hospital – Rosewood."

Goodwin was visibly taken aback. His pale visage looked even more drained of blood, and he took a long, deep breath.

"We were just discussing who may have told him of this information, Director." Ushio went on. "It seems completely unreasonable that he would have spotted that place – no, I don't even think he's capable of knowing that such a place exists. Do you know what's going on, Director Goodwin?"

"No, no, I do not." Goodwin was shaking his head, and traces of doubt and surprise were clouding his usually piercing eyes.

"Director, I don't suppose that the few of us who knew…" Ushio didn't want to finish his sentence.

"No, I don't suppose that either." Frowning, Goodwin locked his brows together in irritation. "Both Professor Fudo and Senator Izayoi have sworn to secrecy with me, and I do not doubt that both of you have faithfully obeyed your orders. Apart from the five of us, no one should know."

"Then…" Ushio was at a loss and didn't know what to say. He gave another look at Mikage. She looked equally confused.

"No, no, in fact, this may suit my intentions quite well." Different to his subordinates, Goodwin's mind was working quickly. Having regained his composure, the Director of the Security Maintenance Bureau drummed his fingers on the desk. "For Yusei to see the Rosewood Institute in its current state would no doubt deter him greatly in his obsessive search for Izayoi Aki. There's no doubt of that."

"Rosewood in its current state?" Ushio did not understand.

Goodwin took a small sigh. "You see, Ushio-san, Rosewood was… recently destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Mikage couldn't help herself. "But Director, what you told me –"

Goodwin gave her his sternest look.

"What did I tell you, Mikage-san?"

Mikage bit her lip. "You told me that… the destruction of Rosewood… would bring ill fortune on us all, Director."

Goodwin looked at Ushio. The officer appeared unfazed.

"I assume that you heard about this as well, Ushio-san?"

"Yes, Director." Ushio replied, not taken aback. "Although I do not understand what you mean, I trust that Mikage-san did not lie to me and I believe that you will always act in the best interest of the City and the Security force. Therefore, I take what she says as true. But then… if Rosewood is really destroyed…"

"That does not concern you." Goodwin waved his hand as if telling him not to bother. "If Yusei sees the Institute's ruins, he is very likely to give up on his search. That is all I'm interested with in this better."

"I understand, Director." Ushio looked as if he wanted to say more, but Mikage tactfully ended the discussion on this topic.

Goodwin nodded. "Then please choose well for Yusei's escort tomorrow. I expect him to return well and unharmed."

Ushio and Mikage bowed once again. Pressing the end-call button, Goodwin hung up.

In the highest level of the Security Headquarters, Director Goodwin mused in his leather chair. He knew about Rosewood's destruction a while ago, but did not expect it to be brought up under such circumstances. He had tried his best to keep Yusei, Neo Domino's hope, away from that place. He was willing to indulge the young Fudo one last time in order to completely conclude his pursuit of Izayoi Aki. He made a mental note to have a long talk with Yusei, half regretting that he haven't done it earlier.

Pressing more numbers on his phone, Goodwin dialled for the Archives office. Once the call went through, he requested the archivist to look up the current residents in Rosewood Institute, under the pseudonym of Robb-Lewis-Henley Memorial Hospital for Satellite, to see if anyone is connected to Jack Atlus in any way.

-XXXXX-

Yusei would have objected to the Security escort, but he understood it was Ushio's good will. His friend had sternly told Yusei to come back safe, which Yusei replied with his usual reassuring smile.

His application for visiting Satellite had been approved on the day that he handed in. Jack's had been denied. There wasn't much Yusei could do about it. When he explained it to Jack, though, he noticed the distinctive relief in the other young man's eyes. Now, one day later, he was ready to head into that alien land through the narrow and tightly guarded isthmus. Sitting on his D-Wheel and waiting for Security clearance through the numerous gates that seamlessly locked Satellite away from the City, he couldn't help but wonder the world beyond the countless mesh wire walls that he was about to enter.

Beside him, in their own Security standard D-Wheels, his Satellite Security bodyguards appeared much more at home. They gazed forward, their hands resting easily on the controls of their machine, their bodies leaned back as if thoroughly savouring the ride. A Security car rode before the two D-Wheelers, and was currently going through the last Security checkpoint before they officially enter Satellite.

The Security officer in charge of this final gate was gentle but firm. He would not allow the driver, a young officer from the City, to take his camera or cellphone into Satellite.

"I'm sorry, but that's the special condition associated with your pass." The officer stated this again when the young recruit launched into another beseeching plea. "The Security Bureau isn't allowing any of your group to bring electronic communicating or recording equipments into Satellite during your visit." He cast a quick look at Yusei. "Considering the nature and destination of your visit, I have to say that such measures are quite necessary."

Although the officer kept his voice low, Yusei still heard his words. After the driver reluctantly gave up his camera and phone, the officer then approached Yusei's D-Wheel.

"I don't suppose that you'll request me to give up my D-Wheel as well?" Yusei questioned the man after he has completed the standard procedures. "D-Wheels are all equipped with video call features."

"Your D-Wheel would be fine." The officer waved his question off. "Most vehicles these days have video call features. Moreover, King, we don't want you to lose communication completely while in Satellite." Done with his job, the officer saluted Yusei, then moved on to the Security D-Wheelers and the other Security car following their entourage.

Yusei sighed. Mikage made every officer sign a confidentiality agreement before they set out, demanding that they do not leak anything that they see or hear on this trip into the media. Yusei wasn't surprised with the unusual constrictions associated with his journey. After all, he had asked to visit a place that does not legally exist.

As the King of the City, Yusei was justifiably uncomfortable with knowing that such a facility existed beyond the law. However, he was amazed at how easily his own beliefs changed when Aki was thrown into the lot. She wasn't forever lost, but stowed away in the age-old political compromise between impartial justice and high-profile filial love. Such a thought is so much more comforting than aggravating to him. Yusei had thought that he is as just and upright as any other man. It is incredible how differently things now appear.

The officer had finished with Yusei's D-Wheel bodyguards and moved towards the last car. Impatient with the prudent and slow proceedings, the Satellite-based Securities began to chat quietly amongst themselves.

"Where are we heading to again?"

"Did you forget? It's Rosewood, man, that nutjob down near the central districts."

"You serious? I thought that lady was kidding when she said it!"

"Nah, serious. He wanted to go there, that's what I heard."

"Did he lose it? Why would someone like him want to see that psycho house – no, what used to be that psycho house?"

"Shh, quiet! You know, that case…? That psychic redhair daughter of the Senator a few months ago…?"

The conversation died down as the officers realised what case they were talking about. Yusei grimaced.

"A psycho house, huh?" He muttered to himself.

All he knew about Rosewood Institute was from what he obtained in the Archives offices in the Security Headquarters. Top classified, the Institute initially has no name, known only as a code. The name Rosewood is actually a nickname that arose from the thick rose bushes that were planted around the outer walls of the establishment as a natural deterrent for escape or intrusion. Outwardly, it operated as a charitable hospital, but what kind of a hospital was it in truth? Ominous images of a horror-movie style mental ward swelled up in Yusei's imagination, which he had to forcibly push down. And what would Aki be like after being in that place for so long? Yusei can't answer any of these questions. He cast a look behind him. The officer in charge of the checkpoint had finished, and was signalling for the gate to be opened.

"There we go." The Security closest to Yusei muttered. Without knowing why, Yusei instinctively took a stronger hold on to his D-Wheel.

Surrounded by Security officers, Yusei rode through the gate. Satellite was not as inhospitable as he had thought. Due to the long and slow approach, his body had actually become accustomed to the dark cloud of industrial pollution that perpetually hung above it and could be glimpsed even from the City. He could no longer smell the arid sharp chemical scent that had caused him to cringe in discomfort when they first neared Satellite, although he was sure it is still all around him. Needless to say, the sky is a shade of shapeless grey instead of the crystal blue of the City heavens that almost rivalled the azure of the ocean below. Clothed in grime, the concrete buildings loomed alongside the road, making the paths below appear even darker. The few pedestrians scuttled out of their way when Yusei and his retinue approached, casting them baleful glances in the process. Yusei looked briefly at these Satellite residents, but he was the only one who spared the time to do so. The Securities next to them completely ignored the passer-bys and drove straight towards their destination.

Rosewood was deep into Satellite. Although the roads in this desolate place aren't as developed as those in the City, it still took longer than Yusei imagined getting near it. The King saw no signs of the danger he's been warned against. There were no outlaws or rogues eying them hungrily and no gangs that dared stopping them, but he doubted that'd be the case had he not had this crowd of Security officers with him. He didn't know what the Satellite people thought of the City, but he could vaguely imagine what anyone would feel when they are so close to such glory and yet endlessly spurned by it.

"Is Satellite usually so quiet?" Yusei presented that question to the officer closest to him when they rode through several blocks without seeing a soul.

"Ah. No, not usually so." The officer shook his head, but he didn't appear surprised at the notion. "There's apparently a new powerful gang that rose up in the past few months. People are too scared to come out at night already these days. I won't be too surprised if they cut back on coming out during the day too."

"Are the gangs in Satellite really so powerful?" Yusei inquired, thinking of Jack and the story of how he rose as the ruler of all those gangs in such a young age.

The officer gave a quick laugh. "We do our best to keep them down, but what else do you expect from this place?"

Yusei didn't go on. He decided to leave the Security officers' opinion of Satellite to themselves.

"We'll be arriving at Rosewood soon, King." The officer went on after a little while. "I advise you to be mentally prepared for it. It's not a pretty sight."

"I know." Yusei muttered, although it was too soft for the guard to hear.

The formidable and haunting wreckage stood in the heart of Satellite like the lone chthonian memory of a once sublime fortress. Yusei could discern the distinctive scorching marks on the rubble of what used to be high walls as soon as the remainder of the building came into his view. Of the tall rose bushes that he read about in the archives, none remained. What was left to distinguish the boundary between that secluded complex and the rest of the Satellite were jumbled, blacked concrete blocks that were left scattered throughout the area. Even long after the fire, a fine layer of charred dust still covered the majority of the yard. The tall building standing behind it, which Yusei assumed to be the main hospital, was reduced to a blank grey facade studded with gaping black holes that were once windows. Yusei swallowed uncomfortably as he approached this looming ruin. He now shared more than a little of Jack's reluctance to come to this spot.

"That's Rosewood?" He asked the Security next to him.

"Yep." The man nodded. "We'll be stopping next to it, King."

The group of D-Wheelers came to a stop close to what was once Rosewood. Stepping off, Yusei lifted up his head to take in the entire view of the complex. The main building was in an "E" shape, with three perpendicular wings coming off the building with the front entrance. In its heydays, it probably looked rather majestic and imposing, standing above the courtyard that he imagine would have been carefully decorated with gardens and paths. The large enclosure between the three wings and the distant back wall was probably the same. The entire place took more than two blocks of land. Yusei let out a long breath when he thought of how many people it'd be able to hold.

"Are we… moving in?"

Yusei looked at the Security officer next to him. The man was looking cautiously towards the crumbling ruins with more than a sliver of fear. The King of the City sighed and put a hand on his bodyguard's shoulder.

"We will. But don't worry, I won't stay too long."

The rest of the retinue also got off their D-Wheel and approached the ruins wearily. Yusei lead the team, which suddenly seemed much more timid to get near to the place. The charred pavement creaked a little under his boots, adding to the eeriness of the surroundings. Looking up, those infinitely black and empty windows seemed as if they were glaring down at him, silently surveying his every move. Nevertheless, Yusei stepped into the enclosure surrounding by the crumbling walls.

Once he was in, he could tell just how bad the damages were. He couldn't imagine an ordinary fire ravaging through the building with such ferocity and power. He walked past walls with gaping holes and rooms reduced to nothingness. In certain corners there were huddled remains that he didn't even want to look at. Even the Securities behind him were getting edgy. Yusei could again hear them whispering amongst themselves as they followed him up some rickety stairs to the scorched, but still stable second story of the building.

"What happened here, man? It's as if… no one even came here to clean up!"

"Figures. Everyone was too scared back then, and now no one really cared."

Yusei sighed to himself. Yes, no one really cared. He could see that had they wanted, the Securities in Satellite could have easily cleaned up this place and rebuilt something over it, and yet they chose not to. They simply left this mysterious institution to fade by itself in the midst of Satellite, waiting for weeds to grow up and reclaim this spot for the wilderness. He had come so close to finding Aki, but this is what greeted him. Narrowing his eyes, he cast his eyes to the courtyard outside to take in its entire view, if only as a distraction.

He blinked. Suddenly, those crisscrossed markings on the ground that he had thought were the paths of the fire took the shape of a three-toed claw mark. Holding his breath, he looked carefully again. There's no mistake. There were definitely two marks of heavy and giant claws. Now that he looked even more carefully, that entire field of disturbed and stamped earth, which he had thought came with the destitute state of the complex, looked as if it was the remains of a gargantuan swing by a remarkable tail in his altered perception. Yusei's breath caught in his throat. From up here, he could almost imagine something out of a nightmare – her dragon that he knew so well – was standing right there, out in the courtyard, spreading fire and destruction to the building before it. His heart jumped as his subconscious made the links that his mind didn't dare to make.

"Could it be…" Those words softly escaped from his mouth, but the Security officers still heard it.

"What is it, King?"

"Was there ever an investigation into how the fire was caused there?" Yusei questioned gently.

"Not that anyone knows of." The officer scratched the back of his head as he replied with an answer that Yusei had half anticipated. "I'd say no, there hasn't been."

Yusei took a long breath and nodded. "Thanks."

The officer gave a respectably small bow and moved away. Leaning forward, Yusei put his hand on the darkened windowsill and lightly put his weight on it. Clutching his teeth to control the shivers crawling up his spine, he tightly shut his eyes.

"You got me this time, Aki." He muttered beneath his breath. "You really surprised me, you know that?"

He felt that he's completely misunderstood Aki. He's completely underestimated her. If she really destroyed this place along with all these lives… then he honestly didn't know how to face her anymore. No; suddenly the goal he had been chasing after seemed like a disillusioned mirage, a delusion that he had crafted out of his own mind. He felt like he had just woken up from a long, amnesiac dream. He could recall the bitter, empty feeling of loss; but as for exactly what he had lost, he could no longer remember.

Looking up, he could see the sloping hills far into Satellite. Standing above the lowlands that made up most of Satellite, he had heard that those hills had once looked over the old harbour when Satellite was still Domino city. Yusei shook his head. This isn't like him; he didn't get confused over his goals. All he had wanted was find Aki. There was a feeling of compensation, of guilt, yet even those hidden sentiments were never tangled with such rage, such incomprehension. Just what was Aki searching for? What caused her such rage and fear to wreck such injury? If so, then it feels terribly like she acting just like a dangerously spoiled kid, venting her emotions uncontrollably on everything around her.

If she had really descended to such depths, then should he still seek to save her?

Squinting towards the top of that far-distant hill, Yusei could have sworn that he glimpsed a dot of crimson red fluttering in the wind. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at that barren hilltop again, not believing his sight. Sure enough, the next time that he looked at it, it was gone.

"Just a trick of the morning light." He muttered under his breath and turned his back to the window, ready to leave.

"Hey, did it just get really dark?" Instead of moving down the stairs, one of the Security officers suddenly announced.

Puzzled, Yusei looked outside again. To his terror, the clear summer sky had been replaced with an endless winged shadow in the blink of an eye. He had turned around and was yelling before he knew it.

"Everyone, run!"

He felt the trembling of the building beneath his feet as he rushed towards his bodyguards. He was too slow. The impact had already hit the already crumbling ruins before he crossed the room. The last thing he saw was the naked horror on the faces of the Satellite officers before him, before everything in his world went utterly dark.

-Fin-


	9. II 1: Rosewood, July, Arrival

_Ira furor brevis est_ – Anger is a brief madness – Horace

**Primo**

_Upon waking, what she hears first would always be the rustling leaves of the thorny roses. _

_Those tall boughs would always find a way to make their own music even without the urging of the wind. Through the flimsy, half-drawn white curtains in her room, she could hear their wordless whispers day after day, night after night, drowning out all other sound in this quite enclosure, a silent haven without the noise of traffic or even bird song. Although she had been here for only a few days, she could already feel that soft murmur seeping into her blood, blocking out memory and thoughts. It is with her every morning as she lay in bed breathing softly in and out, her mouth slightly open, and let her breath tickle her lips to reassure herself that she's still alive. It is with her every night as she drowned in the emptiness that accompanies the few moments before the descent into sleep; as she lies there placid and alone tasting the absence of thought in her oblivious brain. It was no different this morning as she woke to the brilliant sunshine in her room in the fourth floor of the East Wing of the Rosewood Institute. Like a never ending ritual the sound of the roses greeted her as she brushed the long strands of scarlet hair away from her eyes and set about to dress herself in the plain white summer dress that was the standard of all female residents here. The coldness of the unworn fabric startled her numb skin, prickling her dull nerves even in this warm weather. The white clock on the white wall displayed the time as 7am. She had become accustomed to the rules of this place without even noticing it._

_She washed her face and made the bed according to routine. Her pallid fingers, as white as the pristine blankets and bedclothes, worked at a steady pace. Leaning towards the window sill, she picked up the steel hairpin that lay exactly where she had left it last night and rolled up her long fringe with it with well-practiced expertise, pulling it neatly taunt even in this room without a mirror. Brushing the curtains aside, she cast a peek outside at the courtyard below, already bathed in sunlight. The rusty iron latch caught on the thin fabric and she reached out to unlock it. The latch rattled and opened no more than a few centimetres, just wide enough for a whiff of fresh air to tingle her nose tip. She had given up forcing it to open any farther. It was not made for that purpose._

_After washing her face in the small bathroom, she opened the door and joined the quiet pattering of feet streaming down the corridors and stairs and arrived at the ground floor of East Wing, and from there to the dining hall in Central Wing. At this time of the morning, the corridors were already swathed in the white of the residents here. She walked in her usual pace, not looking anyone in the eye, and took her food. Then, she sped up and walked towards that one place where he always waited. _

"_Morning, Kiryu."_

_He lifted his head to her. Those golden eyes that she had grown to feel so reliant on in the past few days glinted with brief delight as he acknowledged her. He nodded towards the empty seat opposite him._

"_Morning, Aki. Take a seat."_

_She sat down opposite him across the long narrow table, and shifted to make herself more comfortable on the hard wooden bench that lined the sides of the tables in this large room. He seemed to have gotten up much earlier than her, and was poking at the last bits of the preserved vegetables left on his plate rather nonchalantly. The clattering of the dishes in this room briefly blocked out the ruckus of the giant roses. Nonetheless, most residents dined in silence. She lowered her voice as she started on her breakfast._

"_You'll be working again?" _

_He nodded. "Yeah, another long day."_

_A small frowned crept up his face as she watched. She lowered her eyes, not wishing to pick on his sore spot anymore. Seeing her troubled face, he diverted the topic._

"_What about you, Aki? Going to start on your work today?"_

"_I don't know," she kept on the motion of cutting up food on her plate, not wanting to draw attention to their conversation. "I don't know if I'm up to that task."_

"_You've seen that patient, though." He shrugged, not arguing with her. "Did that help you make up your mind?"_

_She looked away._

"_Sorry I didn't tell you everything yesterday, then." He grimaced. "I thought it might be _him_ whom your matron was asking you to take care of. But even when we're allowed to go wherever we like in Rosewood, you still have to be careful in certain wards."_

"_I was expecting a nutcase." She replied in a low voice. "But he was so surprisingly calm and placid. Just who is he?" _

_He shook his head. "He called himself by the pseudonym that I told you about. No one else knows much more."_

"_He didn't even turn around to look at us through the whole time we were there." She sighed. "Is he – ?"_

"_He's not deaf or mute, I think." He cut her off. "Just… a little locked up in his own head, you might say. Not that anyone here blames him for that. Who knows what might have happened to him. But he is indeed a little 'special' like what your matron said, I have to say."_

"_How special?" She narrowed her eyes._

_Giving a quick look around them, he said to her in a whisper. "They say that he's a very, very powerful psychic duelist."_

"_A psychic duelist?" The expression on her face turned into a frown._

"_Apparently, he was quite well-known in the underground duelling circles in the City," he continued explaining. "People say that he knew a lot about psychic duelists and the technologies and sciences needed to deal with such power, and that he even made some artefacts that can control or enhance a psychic duelist's power."_

"_What got him to come here then?" _

"_He lost control. It was the same thing that… happened to you, Aki."_

_She furrowed her brow, not willing to relive that memory. "Thanks for letting me know that then. I didn't know… I didn't know that someone like him exists."_

"_Not exists, 'had existed'." He hushed her. "It's better to use the past tense here."_

_She bit her lip. She still can't manage to hear that comment without feeling an overwhelming anger. She forced herself to calm back down._

"_I'll need to be going very soon," although he let her silence last a while longer, she knew he was pushed for time. "So, Aki, will you be attending to him? If so, then I'll probably see you near his ward when I return tonight."_

_She sighed. He sure was persistent. "Yes, I will. I'll see you on the sixth floor tonight then."_

_With a reassured smile, he dashed off, getting out of the dining hall just as the bell for the male occupant's gathering started ringing in the courtyard outside. She watched him, then tore her gaze away and settled to finishing her food._

_Her name is Izayoi Aki. One week ago, she had been sentenced to be deported here, to Rosewood. Like everyone else at this place, her person no longer officially exists. This secluded haven is a prison like no other. No one here is innocent, but somehow they have all been spared. In her case, she was certain that her father pulled his strings. _

_Why did he bother to save her after years of neglect? After years of fear and criticism? She did not know. Why did he not save her sooner? She did not know that either. She shut her mahogany eyes briefly, forcing down the sudden pang of anger and sadness that welled up within her heart. Regrets and wonderings won't change anything. She clutched tightly at the spoon in her hand, and let the dull coldness of the smooth metal draw her back into reality. To distract herself, she took a deep breath and told herself to think about new memories, to think of him instead._

_She met him on her first day here. She was fearful, confused. The judge had taken her aside after the ruling and quietly motioned for her to be lead out through a side door, an entrance that she didn't see anyone use through the trial. His face was so severe that she was convinced that they were going to carry out her sentence right there. Thinking back, she surmised that she was probably drugged sometime during the trial, whether through that cup of water that was given her or the sickly sweet air that she breathed in the van, but the end result was that she promptly passed out soon after she was led out of the courthouse and the next time she came to, she was lying on a pristine and bare room in the middle of Rosewood._

_The brisk introduction done by the nursing staff and Security went unregistered through her head. At that stage, she was too stunned to listen to anything they said. It was too overwhelming for her to feel any happiness that should accompany such a miracle. No, she did not feel blessed to be spared – rather, her heart sank even lower as she listened to the explanation of what kind of a life awaited her. At the end, she merely sat on her bed and spaced out. Probably used to such reactions from new comers, the staff and Security left the room after they've finished and let her come to terms with everything herself. Had she been left uninterrupted as they no doubt intended for it to be, she would have sat there blankly until they called her for dinner._

"_Excuse me? Are you the newcomer on this ward?"_

_It was his voice that startled her back into reality. Lifting up her head, she saw a golden-eyed young man with light blue hair peering apologetically in from the door that she left half open. _

"_Sorry, but you're the new girl here, right?" He gestured at the door. "I'm the guy who's supposed to change the name plate after you get here, Izayoi-san." _

_Seeing that she was just staring at him, he shrugged and put the plastic name plate he was holding onto the ground and set to work removing the old one, which had another woman's name. She remained sitting there gazing at him. He turned towards her. _

"_It's quite a shock to be sent here, isn't it?" He started the conversation. "I was the same on my first day, but whatever, beggars can't be choosers here." Pushing the new name plate against the door to let the glue to its work, he nodded towards her. "Name's Kiryu Kyosuke. Call me Kiryu."_

"_Nice to meet you. I'm… Izayoi Aki." She clumped her mouth close in embarrassment. She really didn't want to reply, but those words of courtesy slipped out of her thanks to the etiquette that had been drilled into her since she was a kid. _

"_Upper class, huh?" He grinned. She bit her lip at that, expecting ridicule like she had always been faced with. But he only shrugged again. "Don't worry, it doesn't matter who we are once we get to Rosewood. We're all the same here." He motioned towards his face. There was a jagged Mark, that scar given to all criminals in Neo Domino City, traversing his face from the brow to the chin. The bitterness in his grin, which she had first taken as one of disrespect, no longer seemed to be the case. "Rather than thinking about what happened, you should concentrate on getting on with your new life here, missy." _

_She remained sitting there, head bowed, not answering. She heard him noisily picking up his tools. The quick footsteps that followed alerted her and she quickly looked up. He was standing in front of her, hand extended towards her in a casual manner._

"_Would you like a tour of your new home, Izayoi-san?"_

_She looked at him incredulously. She was under the impression that this is just another form of a prison, a place were everyone is confined to their rooms._

"_C'mon, it's not like we'll ever manage to escape." That twisted grin came up again. "I'll show you all the places that you need to know before dinner starts."_

_He was the first Rosewood resident that she met. His sad grin stayed in her mind. Now, days later, she has no doubt that she would be able to demonstrate the same expression. She came to know what caused that helpless expression when they took her to be Marked. As if reminding herself of that memory, she reached up and gingerly touched the two long lines that were left on her face as an eternal reminder of her crimes. Like all other criminals in Neo Domino, those Marks burnt into the skin of her face planted a microchip in her flesh that can be tagged by Security. No wonder everyone was allowed to wander freely in Rosewood. Kiryu was right; they cannot ever escape. They were residue ghosts bound to this place, free to do everything they'd like except to be free. She flinched as one of her nails accidentally grazed her Mark; she didn't know if that pain will ever fade._

_She remembered it was also him who first comforted her after Marking. It was his sympathy that pulled her out of the despair which threatened to once again drag her into her hell. Think of it as the Mark to end all the horrible memories in the past; he had told her that when she wept into his chest with tears of pain that night . Don't cry over the Mark, they can't do anything worse to us than the Mark; he whispered as he held her close. She chose to believe him. She had to believe him. She had to believe in something in this place where each long day mirrored the day before it and the day before it, this cage where she must waste her life away. Yes, what had made her most afraid wasn't any potential danger or torment, but the prospect of being safely locked here forever. Anyone outside of her cage would've considered this fear as the trivial musing of a survivor – shouldn't she be glad that she had escaped death? – but this terror is, for her, very real. Very real._

"_Izayoi-san," she jolted, unaware that the matron of her ward was standing next to her. "Izayoi-san, are you alright?" The middle-aged woman inquired again._

"_I'm… I'm fine." She squeezed out a brief smile._

"_That's good," the matron smiled her thin-lipped smile too. "Izayoi-san, have you considered our proposal with the special patient?"_

"_I have." She answered decisively, having made up her mind. "I'd like to help out with him."_

"_Good." The matron sounded much more relieved. "I was almost getting worried. Would you mind starting today? You can take his breakfast up after you're done." _

_She easily agreed to that. There was no harm in this job. Moreover, Kiryu had mentioned that man was a psychic duelist, so maybe she can even…_

_She shook her head to dispel that thought as she carried the tray of food up the stairs and towards that silent ward. She shouldn't be thinking about that. Was she not remorseful for what she did to Misty's brother? Didn't she cry to herself in the middle of the night, hoping that somehow, somehow, she had held herself back? Didn't she secretly swear to never use her powers again? Now wasn't the time to think about those things. She brought back Kiryu's voice, telling her that she's here to face a new life. No matter what may happen in the future, his reassuring voice will always comfort her, and will always give her strength in the days to come._

_Having arrived at that door, she tilted up her head and put on her best smile. Then she knocked gently on the door, and greeted the resident in a clear voice though she knew he would not answer._

"_Divine-san, are you in there? I'm coming in."_

-\-\-\-\-\

-/-/-/-/-/

Even with his modified engine, he knew he was pushing his luck. The front wheel of his D-Wheel had begun to wobble, and he didn't even want to imagine what the ominous shaking of his seat could mean. Nonetheless, he pressed on. Crow Hogan understood that with every moment that he delays, his chance of saving Fudo Yusei is growing even smaller.

His destination was the ruins of Rosewood. Yusei and his Securities must have already arrived. They wouldn't have taken the uneven back alleys of Satellite, in which Crow was currently navigating through with difficulty. As testimony to the bad conditions in this part of the world, his D-Wheel ran over a large crack on the tarmac and the machine again threatened to wobble out of control. He gritted his teeth and wretched the steering gear back straight. "Come on. Don't give up on me today, Blackbird." He whispered as the machine finally became somewhat stable. He reduced the speed a bit. After all, he needed to take that thing out of his bag.

Crow spared himself a sigh. He did not know that Yusei would act so quickly and in such a rash manner. He had thought the King of the City would be more prudent and would not risk a visit to Satellite himself. But then again, who knows what Jack had told him? Did he really tell Yusei everything about Rosewood? Including Aki?

No, no. Crow shook his head. Jack wouldn't know everything about Rosewood. He wasn't there. He didn't keep in touch with Kiryu. It was Crow who bore witness to all. It was Crow. It was Crow who watched as his friends slowly succumbing to madness, it was Crow who did not stop them in time – and it was Crow who crumbled to their wishes. In that, Jack was innocent.

Therefore, Jack could not possibly have warned Yusei of all the danger that Satellite poses for the young King.

And that is also the reason that Crow, who now is possibly the only one who knew the truth of what happened in Rosewood, have decided to save a life against the hundreds that have been destroyed at that very spot.

With one hand, Crow carefully took the Duel Disk that he carried in his bag out and put it onto his lap. He had brought this as a safety measure. It had been a long time ago when he was given this black Duel Disk by that man. Crow grimaced at his own changes in attitude. Once upon a time he had been reluctant to even touch that uncanny Disk, whereas now he willingly put it on his arm in the name of self-defence. He isn't that much different from Kiryu and Aki, after all.

He drew out the top card from his deck, gave a look at the monster card he drew, and then summoned it without hesitation. He had learnt to never give her the incentive to do damage first. "Black Lance Blaster," he commanded as he placed the card onto the black Duel Disk, "your objective is to save Fudo Yusei from Rosewood. Get him out of there as soon as possible, especially if I don't manage to catch up to you."

His monster nodded and quickly flew off, leaving its master in the dust. Blackbird wobbled again when Crow tried to accelerate to catch up to his monster. Unwilling to damage his beloved vehicle, Crow settled at his current speed with a frown. "Damn that woman. Izayoi, if you cause me to break my D-Wheel, I've got to settle this score with you on top of everything else."

On top of everything else? Man, Crow really has bad luck when it comes to friends.

It does seem to be that way, doesn't it? His childhood friends, Jack and Kiryu, have both somehow wandered off Crow's path. But Crow still dared to count himself lucky. Lucky in the fact that at least his crimes had a purpose, not the senseless destruction that so many Satellite inhabitants seem to indulge in. But his luck ends there. Like every other kid here, Crow had also wished – if only once in a long while – that he was blessed enough to be born over the sea, in Neo Domino City, in a world infinitely better than his own.

A high and distant cry interrupted his train of thought, shifting his focus from the ground to the cloud-ridden sky. Crow squinted upwards. It sounded like a bird call, something any other man would have dismissed as a lost seagull. But Crow's heart skipped a beat. He recalled this familiar, eerie sound. It was the keen cry of a Duel Monster dragon, a creature that sprung from the illusion created by those black Duel Disks, something that should not exist in this world.

"She couldn't have been that fast… right?" Crow had just enough time to utter words of bewilderment. As soon as he finished speaking, the world fell oddly silent. The humming of his D-Wheel suddenly became to be unbearably loud. The usual noises in the Satellite neighbourhood, the barking of stray dogs and the creaking of old houses, all seem to have ceased. It was as if something had sucked away all sound in the world, and Crow couldn't help but shiver in this barren and lonely quietness. Now he remembered for sure. This is the terrifying silence before a monster's blow, the suppressed soundlessness of the few seconds as a dragon draws in its breath. Even though he knew her dragon must now be high above the air, he had no doubt that this is aimed at Rosewood, just a few blocks away.

"Damn it, Izayoi!"

The impact hit. A thunderous roar vibrated through the air, and he felt his eardrums could have burst. A black dust storm rose into the sky as the dragon's attack stirred up the age-old debris covering the streets and the rooftops. Pieces of small rocks danced maniacally on the road, bewitched by the shockwaves that shook the ground. Houses clacked and fabrics tore, their staccato noises melting into the macabre whooshing of the air. The D-Wheel literally bounced up and down on the road. Crow swerved sideways to keep clear of rocks rolling towards him, only to be greeted with a faceful of dust when an old awing gave way. Disgusted, he spat it out of his mouth and persevered forward, telling himself that this would all end soon. He tried to keep navigating towards Rosewood as the dust gradually settled and the wind slowed. He still could not see her dragon, although he imagined it must be near. Coughing, he maintained his D-Wheel on the road, and sighed with relief when he finally saw the silhouette of what he knew must be the ruins of Rosewood. He parked his D-Wheel on the road and ran across what was left of the front courtyard, use the still-dusty sky as cover, and quickly reached the rubbles of the main building.

What was left of Rosewood had once again been tormented by fire. The crumbling remains had been reduced to a rubble-infested skeleton with barely a hint of the upper level's previous existence. Crow didn't dare to call out for his monster. He cautiously crept towards that used to be the giant complex's East Wing, hugging the wall for cover. And it turned out to be just his luck. Through the dust, he glimpsed a shining spear tip poking up through a small mountain of rubble.

"Black Lance Blaster!" Crow gave a cry of surprise and rushed over. There was no mistake. It was the spear tip of his monster. It got here – hopefully on time, and hopefully after having rescued Yusei. Crow looked down on the black Duel Disk that he had put on his arm, and contemplated whether or not to take the card off the Duel Disk so his monster wouldn't be crushed by the rubble.

It was then that the spear tip suddenly gave a violent jerk and pieces of rock around it began to fall. Startled, Crow took a step back. His monster was, for some reason, struggling to physically get out rather than waiting for Crow to save it. Smaller rocks rattled and tumbled down as the monster stirred, and larger ones were simply heaved off like snowballs. Crow saw more and more of the spear and his monster's hand emerge, then its shoulder, back, then its neck and head. It was bent over something, something that it was shielding from the falling rocks using its own body. When his monster had fully emerged from the rubble, Crow could see the identity of that 'something' cradled securely in the monster's left arm.

"Fudo Yusei…"

Letting out a long breath, Crow peeked at the face of the person being carried by his monster. The City-born young man was breathing, alright. He had probably just been knocked out when the building collapsed. Crow then peered towards the rest of the rubble, apprehensive of the fate of Yusei's Security retinue, but he had always known he could not save him. He averted his eyes from some blood-stained cloth that he saw sticking out of the ruins. Yusei's deck box was hanging loosely of his belt, and Crow took it, just for safe keeping. He flipped open to check it, then put it away.

"Well done… and thanks a lot, Black Lance Blaster." Giving his monster a thankful pat on the back, Crow allowed himself a brief smile. At least he had made a start. He looked up into the sky, still apprehensive of Aki's dragon, his dice-shaped earrings swaying in the wind. "All clear," he whispered. "Let's get out of here. I'll have to ask you to carry him to my D-Wheel, Black Lance Blaster."

"Not so fast, Crow."

Crow froze. Not now. Please, not when he's so close.

"I see that you've become rather familiar to that Duel Disk, Crow. You've put it to good use."

"Iza… yoi." He choked. He could feel that he was entrapped in her cold, emotionless look that she would wear. The sensation of that mask-covered face staring at him sent chills down his spine. Tilting back his head, the Marked young man gritted his teeth and fully turned around.

"I thought you'd have to get here on your D-Wheel… but I really underestimated you, Izayoi."

She didn't reply and only looked at him from on top of her dragon, her black cloak billowing on the wind, her carmine Duel Disk on her left arm. The bone-white mask that she wore as the Witch glinted in hazy, polluted Satellite sun. The two tear-streaked markings on the mask, mirroring perfectly the Marks on her skin beneath, made that pallid mockery of a face even more sinister. She could well have been a dark, otherworldly spectre perched atop a scarlet dragon. Seeing no reins and such for her to hold on, Crow briefly wondered how she rode it all the way from the hills.

"It seems I've underestimated you too, Crow." She replied in a light voice. "I didn't think you'd actually turn your back to us."

"You knew from the start what I thought of everything." His hand crept to his deck on his belt, weary of any moves she might make.

"You also knew the conditions Uncle Goodwin gave you." She didn't back down. Had she not had the mask on, he imagined that beautiful face must be frowning coldly. "Why are you interfering with my prey, Crow?"

"Prey?" He spat out that word. "Tough words, Izayoi."

"Of course. That was my resolve, what I need to do to achieve our communal goal." She replied without missing a beat. "But what happened to yours and the future you dreamt off?"

"My resolve? It was nothing more than duress." He growled. "And your and Kiryu's way of doing things annoys me. How many more lives are you planning to take? How far are you going to go down this road just to reach your goal?"

"How else do you think it can be done?" She rebuked, still calm as ever. "He's my target. Withdraw, Crow. Otherwise I would have to consider you as my enemy."

His hand moved, but she was quicker with her words. "Don't bother resisting. My deck can destroy anything in yours."

"Really…?"

He didn't miss her small twitch when he held up the cards in his hand. "As I thought, Fudo Yusei's ace monster is your natural enemy."

He grinned, holding up the Stardust Dragon, which he just picked up from Yusei's deck. Right next to is his own card, Black Feather – Armed Wing. "I knew you wouldn't like it if I summon these two together. You're right, I've mastered the psychic Duel Disk. It's not like the game. I can summon any monster I want without meeting summoning requirements. You should know that best, Black Rose Witch.

"Tch!" Her hand quickly drew a card from her deck, and she slammed into her Duel Disk after a rapid glance. "I activate the Trap –"

"Dust Tornado, activate!" Crow activated his own card, which he had already placed into his Duel Disk before he left. "Don't bother, Izayoi. I've loaded up my Duel Disk. You can't win with your Magic and Traps today either." He grinned. "Maybe it's your turn to withdraw. You can't beat me today. Not this time. And I have no intention of handing Fudo Yusei over." He paused. "Let's not make this difficult for each other."

"You…" she was visibly taken back. "Do you no longer share our dream, Crow?"

"Not that." He frowned. "But –"

"Even if no one in the City acknowledges your sacrifice?" Her voice was much softer, and he could almost see that red-headed sensitive girl whom he had met three months ago, and those empty, sad eyes. "They won't thank you for saving their lives. They would probably despise you more for having a Marked man meddling with their paradise. You'll gain nothing this way, Crow. But if you turn back to be with us again – "

"Sorry, Izayoi." He interrupted her this time. "I'm doing what I believe to be the right thing. I won't agree to you and Kiryu again."

She was silent for a long time, then her voice snapped. "Fine. Go then, Crow. Go and leave. You win this time. Get out of here. I won't attack."

"Sorry for not trusting you, Izayoi, but I'm summoning my monster for assurance." Crow placed Armed Wing on his Duel Disk. She didn't respond. He turned to leave, but paused.

"Izayoi, are yous sure you still want to believe in Kiryu and Goodwin?"

She didn't reply. He sighed.

"Guess that's a no then. Later, Izayoi."

And within minutes, Crow Hogan was speeding away. He carried Yusei behind him on his D-Wheel, while Armed Wing pushed Yusei's D-Wheel after them. She knew where he's headed for, and yet the Witch remained standing on her dragon, not moving. Not for the first time did she feel angry with her own inability to punish him, for her inability to bring down every obstacle in her determined path.

"I'm also doing what I believe to be right, Crow." She spoke out loud towards his diminishing figure, although he was too far away to hear. "There's no need for you to keep trying to change me. You should know by now what I desire."

"Although I do wonder… if the reason you rescued Yusei is because you're feeling guilty again?" She gave a small laugh. "Don't be. I should thank you for setting me free, for creating this Witch in which I can live to the full. I wouldn't have been able to do anything without your help back then. I own you one… but not Kiryu or Uncle Goodwin." Bending down, she patted her dragon soothingly. The beast, which was getting rather agitated, lowered its head obediently. "So, Crow-san, don't forget the deal you made with Uncle Goodwin, and don't try to pull stunt like this again while you're in Satellite." She narrowed her eyes. "Because the other two are not going to be as lenient."

Sitting up, she grabbed onto her dragon's thorns. She could roughly feel its prickliness through her leather gloves. Feeling that they might be on the move again, her dragon perked up. She smiled understandingly at it as if towards a dear pet. "Let's get back. We can fly slower this time. Don't worry about being seen by other people." Looking up at the sky, she sighed. "Because for us, they are as insignificant as falling leaves."

-XXXXX-

That was a long time without updating. Had a particularly busy semester… really too exhausted to do anything else.

As you may have gathered, this story isn't written in pure chronological order, so I hope you weren't too confused with the sudden time jump. I've also going to do some odd timeline experiments with this work, so do keep up with timeline and the different sections I'm splitting it up to!

Won't really be updating in the next fortnight, although the next chapter is taking shape in my phone. Sometimes, writing relieves my mood, but sometimes it's simply far too inconvenient. Why can't we ever balance chores with our desires?

See you next time


	10. II 2: Dissension

Ahh, 'tis the next chapter in this rather drawn-out story of how the canon may have been. How are you all? I for one have gotten my inspiration back (finally!) and am cranking out words faster than usual. Maybe we can actually get a few chapters out this time!

Now, without further ado, the story

-XXXXX-

**Secondo**

Gritting his teeth, Jack heaved open the door of Carly's apartment, grocery bags dangling off his arms. He shook off his long bangs that stuck to his sweat-drenched forehead as he pushed the door close again with his leg. He had expected her to come up and relieve him of his burden immediately, but she wasn't there. Instead, he could vaguely hear her voice talking in the living room.

Jack frowned and shoved open the door to the living room. She was there, alright, talking on the phone. With a black face, Jack dropped the bags on the low table next to herwith a bang. Surprisingly, she didn't even appear to notice him. Her small bag lay next to the phone, all packed and ready was if she was in the process of leaving the house. Jack crossed his arms and watched as she continued her conversation.

"Ah… Yes, Yes. I see." Carly was nodding away at the receiver, her long black hair moving up and down as she did so. "I understand. So what do you suppose we do?... Ok. Ok, I see. Yes, I'll be there immediately."

Did she really not see Jack coming in with that small mountain of grocery? The answer must be positive. Jack frowned deeper when she hung up the phone, picked up her bag, and literally rushed towards the door without even taking a second to see if there was someone blocking the way. She ran straight into his chest and froze when she saw the irritation written on his face.

"Ah. Jack." She seemed to be at a loss of words. Stuttering was her habit, that he knew, but for some reason he thought she was stuttering more often when he was around. "You… you're back. Would it be alright if I ask you to wait for a while more? I need to go out on a job now. I'll be back soon! So if you'll excuse me –"

"No." He flat out refused her. Although it was not yet pitch-black and it could still be considered late summer, the last traces of dusk were quickly sinking beneath the western horizon. The air had already chilled, and the sea breezes had send shivers down his spine when he drove past the seashore just now. And who knew what may be lurking in the night streets, with all the odd things that have happened so far? Besides, he was hungry.

Carly's face became troubled. "But I –" She bit her lip, as if hardening her resolve, then she made a run past Jack.

"Not so fast!" She was no match for him. His quick reflexes, honed over the years in the slums of Satellite, instantly allowed him to catch her arm in a vice-like grip. She flinched and tried to throw him off, but it was useless. "Where are you going?" He demanded. He didn't remember her ever being so eager for a job before.

She swallowed and paused, but didn't reply. "Where?" He asked again.

She tried again to wrench his hands away. He grabbed her other hand as well to keep her in place. "Tell me." He demanded for the third time. She had never been this unreasonable before just for an errand.

"Jack, let go!" She kept struggling. "If I don't get there on time, then Mikage-san will –" Realising she had probably said too much, Carly clamped her mouth shut immediately.

"Mikage?" The name sounded familiar to him. Jack gave it a quick thought. That's right. Yusei's secretary.

"Has this got something to do with… Yusei?" He questioned tentatively.

Carly gave a slow nod. "Yusei… still hasn't returned from Satellite."

Jack blinked.

"Is he missing?" He said in a low voice. "Is Yusei out of contact?"

Carly gave another reluctant nod. "Since when?" Jack demanded again.

"Since this morning," Carly answered tentatively. "Soon after he entered Satellite. His Security bodyguards didn't return… either."

A sickening feeling crawled up from Jack's stomach. This couldn't possibly be a coincidence. An old fear made crept up his back as he recalled Yusei was going to pay Rosewood a visit. Although Jack didn't keep up with Kiryu after the incident, rumours about Rosewood had inevitably drifted to his ears. Moreover, Kiryu was a radical; he could have done anything to achieve his dream, even before he had cracked. Who knew what he had turned into after all those years in that place?

"I'm coming with you." He told Carly, his gazed locked onto hers.

"No!" Her first reaction was to refuse. "Mikage-san only called me because I knew Yusei and Aki. If I bring you along –"

"I may not know Yusei as well as you do, and I may have never met Izayoi Aki," Jack wasn't backing down, "but I know the people from the _other side_ damn well, don't I?" He grumbled. "At least that's what everyone here in City seems to think."

Besides, he wanted information. He understood why Kiryu would want to speak to him, but could not see a proper reason fro Yusei to be chased down. All because of Izayoi's displeasure? That would be a little to rough, wouldn't it?

Carly blinked at his strange insistence, but he was already walking out of the door before she had recovered her mind enough to move. "I'm going," he called out to her. "Hurry up."

"I – wait, Jack! I didn't even tell you where we're going!" Hastily closing the door, Carly ran out after Jack, who was already making his way towards the garage. Carly fumbled for the keys in her bag as she kept up with Jack's quick strides. Looked like she'll have to do the driving.

"Tell me what's going on." Jack said as he popped into the back seat and Carly started the car.

"I'll fill you in while we're getting to the Security Maintenance Bureau." Carly hit the accelerator. "Hold on."

The situation turned out to be worse than he had expected; Jack sat unmoving as he listened to Carly informing him of what had happened in Satellite today. The little that was left of a hospital called Rosewood had been completely destroyed in a suspicious dust storm at the same time Yusei and his team of Securities completely cut off contact. The Security contingent stationed at Satellite had thoroughly combed the area in response. To their horror, they had found the mangled and crushed remains of most of the Security retinue. There had no been no evidence of Yusei's whereabouts, alive or dead. Nonetheless, it wasn't the news that everyone was waiting for. Mikage and Goodwin were understandably distressed, and have thus summoned Carly since they believed she had been very close to Yusei in the past few days and may have some information that can help the search effort.

"So… what do you think, Jack?" After she had told him of the situation, Carly gingerly asked the passenger in her car. She wouldn't say that she completely trusted Jack, not for now, but she felt the interest that Jack exhibited towards Yusei wasn't one of ill-intent. Her gaze wandered to Jack's face. There was something that was connecting everyone together. Based on his persistence, she was sure of it.

"Would you say Izayoi Aki was someone powerful enough to destroy an entire building?" It wasn't the answer she was expecting. She blinked.

"Er… yes, I'd say she was." She fumbled a reply. "But you're not saying that –"

"Yusei told me an interesting proposition before he left," Jack interrupted her. He had thought of this issue many times over the course of the day, and had decided to tell her this after all. It could well have been the truth. "He thinks Izayoi might have been overcome with her experiences while she was held in Satellite. He thinks there was a connection between Izayoi and –" Jack paused and reminded himself that Carly didn't know the truth of Rosewood, "that ruined hospital."

"So – what?" Carly yelled out so loudly Jack jolted in the backseat. "So you're saying that Aki may have hurt more people while there – and she may have done this today to prevent Yusei from confirming this?"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "A clever one, aren't you? Yes, that's what I think may have happened today." He sighed. "Although I'm willing to bet that Kiryu was the one manipulating Izayoi Aki in some way as well."

"Kiryu…" It was that name again, the name that kept creeping up. But this time he started talking before she asked him anything.

"I suppose I do need to tell you this sooner or later, if I'm gonna stay in the City." Jack gave a grimace as he turned his head sideways. The expression that Carly spied in the rear mirror could almost be called bitter. "To cut a long story short, Kiryu and Crow and I all grew up in the same orphanage in Satellite. When we grew into teenagers, we created a duel gang with a few of our other friends. Satellite was, and still is, full of such gangs. We conquered turfs from other gangs and gradually expanded ourselves." He chuckled in reminiscence. "We dreamt of ruling over the entire Satellite as the strongest duel gang, dreamt of liberating Satellite, even. Ridiculous. We did manage to conquer all of Satellite at the end, mind you, but in exchange Kiryu had lost something far more important."

"What… do you mean?"

"I daresay… he lost his sanity." He narrowed his eyes as if that hidden, buried memory was being played out before him. Carly cast a quick glance backwards. For one moment, the usual haughty and threaten air surrounding Jack disappeared in those unfocused purple irises, replaced by a hazy shade of resigned forlorn. "He gave us a dream. He gave us something to look forward to in our youth, when we felt we were just going to waste our lives locked up in Satellite. He wanted to literally liberate Satellite. He wanted to drive out the Security. He was our leader. Very charismatic, idealistic, and powerful. We all followed him unwaveringly, until…" he paused, "until that day when he actually killed that Security officer with his own hands."

Carly remained quiet. Jack shut his eyes as his final memory of Kiryu re-surfaced.

What he remembered the most was the deafening noise, the roars of the rain and screams of thunder in that pitch-dark night sky, shattering his ears as if some divinity had finally decided to grace the poor district with His unstoppable wrath. Jack remembered running in that rain on instincts alone. His destination was that narrow alleyway beside their hideout. The freezing water was soaking into his clothes, etching the coldness into his skin. His lungs were struggling for air as he continued to run, and each breath came out frost white in that lightless night. He could even recall the wet sound his booted feet made while splashing through the puddles that lined the road, and the way the water roared down the drains, merciless carrying all the debris of Satellite down into the endless sea. In his memory, it had seemed that he ran for ever, and when he got to their hideout that endless passage of time had smeared the glistening white walls of the tall apartments that lined the alleyway into oblivion. In their place were black claustrophobic structures looming above the men below. The thin alleyway where Kiryu stood had become a running stream full of gurgling water. The men in the gang were surrounding Kiryu, not close, but loose and far away as if they were held there with the least of their courage. In their midst and all around Kiryu was a red puddle, slowly spreading, slowly staining the stream that flowed towards Jack's direction. The red blood that crept toward he was so bright in that monochrome and chthonian night that it burnt itself into Jack's sight.

Then he saw the body of that Security officer lying face down next to Kiryu's feet. The Security helmet was cracked and stained with mottled scarlet blood. Kiryu was standing over him, baseball bat in hand, and laughing. Laughing maniacally, he added his own voice into the shrill shrieking of the wind and the rain. That sound of abnormal mirth was even more terrifying than the rain pelting down from above. Jack stood frozen with dread. Even Crow, who usually had no fear towards Kiryu, was standing aside looking on, his eyes wide with horror and incomprehension. The lesser underlings of their gang had taken one look at Jack when he arrived, and then all bolted away in terror.

"_Kiryu."_ Jack had tried to approach his friend and leader. _"What are you doing?"_

He felt the usual chill he had toward Kiryu multiply tenfold when those unreasonable golden eyes turned on him. The bloodstained baseball bat still clutched in hand, Kiryu only leered at Jack. What happened after had been a blur. Jack recalled that Kiryu ran out towards the Securities that came searching for him, with Jack and Crow on his tail. They had tried to talk some sense with Kiryu, but it was completely futile. It was as if something had possessed their familiar old friend and turned him into an inhuman fiend, one that did not understand speech or logic, but only the thrill of the kill. As he chased Kiryu's running figure towards the Security vehicles Jack had felt utter despair as the cold and weakening rain drenched him, body and soul. He never wanted to experience that ever again. When Kiryu was dragged away by the Securities, kicking and screaming even when he was inside the truck, Jack turned away. He had lost his faith. He no longer wanted that dream that threatened them all with its madness. He chose to be the King of Satellite in his own way, abiding by that murky district's old dark rules. He didn't want to remain a revolutionary. He had vowed to live for himself on that night, not for some ideals, not for anyone else. He'd rather endure that emptiness than to face such terrors.

He decided to spare Carly of the details. With a light cough, he went on. "Kiryu was arrested, but not killed." He caught Carly's startled look as she understood the connection. "Yes, he was treated the same way as Izayoi. I didn't keep in touch with him, but somehow Crow did." He looked away, out of the window. "Kiryu was a very charismatic person. He could talk anyone into joining his cause. Izayoi," he paused for a thought. The girl had just been sent to Rosewood from the City. She must've been mentally weak, stubborn, and yet proud, and felt that she was discarded by the City in which she was born. She must have been easy for Kiryu. "She would have made a nice target for him."

"Do you think it's vengeance that he wants? Or that he's still out there to destroy Security and 'free' Satellite?" Carly said in a small voice as she kept driving.

"Vengeance, conquest, liberation. Does it matter to us at all?" Jack muttered. "I can't imagine what goes on his head. Not anymore."

"Then… does anyone in the City know about this? About Kiryu?" Carly queried. She didn't know if this knowledge would make Jack an enemy or a friend of Security.

"Only Yusei." Jack replied. "I told him before he left, since Kiryu been alive was proof that a security containment institute for prisoners existed in Satellite. Other than him… I don't think anyone else would know, not without a thorough investigation."

"So as for tonight… do you think it'd help Yusei?" Carly questioned hesitantly.

_I don't know and I don't care._ Jack almost replied as such. Realising it was probably his hunger and irritation talking, he stopped himself in time and simply shook his head. Carly, who probably saw he was no longer in the mood to talk, left him alone for the rest of the ride.

They pulled into the underground carpark of the Security Bureau after a little while. Being one of the tallest buildings even in Tops, the Bureau's imposing height and the almost inconceivable tilt in its architecture was impossible to miss whenever anyone was looking toward Tops. Carly and Jack got out of the car and entered the elevators without any hindrance from the guards, thanks to Carly's 'Frequent Visitor' pass. Jack gave her an impressed look. He didn't know she got along so well with Security.

"Come on… I'm a reporter. I get into contact with Security all the time." She tried to explain when she noticed his look. He looked away. Carly pouted and lowered her head, and remained silent all the way till they knocked on the door of Goodwin's office.

"Carly!" Ushio's booming voice rang out as he pulled open the door. "We've been waiting for you, Carly… and Jack?"

The Security officer's face was understandably instantly clouded with puzzlement. He stared at Jack as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"I… brought him along." Carly tried to placate things. "He is one of the few people in the City who are from Satellite, after all. So…"

"That's quite alright, Carly. Ushio, let them in." An aged, but commanding voice sounded deeper in the room as Ushio remained standing in one spot, effectively blocking Jack and Carly's entry.

Ushio gritted his teeth, but couldn't bring himself to object to that order. He let out a long breath. "Alright, Director."

Rex Goodwin sat behind his table that faced the door. Mikage stood beside him, looking apprehensive at the unexpected new arrival. Contrary to the woman's troubled expression, Goodwin was perfectly at ease at Jack's unannounced entry. However, it did not mean his gaze toward Jack was any less piercing than anyone else's in the room.

"Jack Atlus, isn't it?" Goodwin nodded toward the young man. "I've heard a lot about you recently."

"I'm honoured." Jack gave a calm response and crossed his arms. He looked like he was about to say more, but Carly didn't have the time to put off the main purpose of their visit.

"Director, what's going on? What's going to happen to Yusei?"

Goodwin was completely at ease with the abrupt change in topic. "That's what we've called you here for. Here, you all take a seat." He nodded at the chairs scattered around the office.

Jack, Carly, Mikage, and Ushio each found a chair and sat. The sky outside had just about become completely dark, with only a slight rim of lingering orange left on the western horizon. Goodwin turned on the fluorescent light as they sat down, and shut the blinds with the press of a button. The room was instantly bathed in the lights' cold and white brilliance. The outside was shut out so completely it might as well have been a sunny day. After pulling over some files to have another quick look, Goodwin started to speak.

"As we all know, Yusei went into Satellite early this morning." A flurry of nods followed his statement. "His destination was a hospital in Satellite called Rosewood, about seven kilometres from the isthmus. He took a Security retinue with him, most of them Satellite Security officers who knew the land. Now, it seemed like they reached Rosewood within an hour after entering Satellite. After that…" He crossed his hands. "We lost contact."

Mikage and Ushio looked understandably downcast, and Carly twisted her hands in her lap. Jack, however, was thinking.

"I assume Yusei brought his D-Wheel along?" The blond man spoke out in the silence that followed the end of Goodwin's sentence. Mikage and Ushio looked up in surprise.

"Ah. You're thinking of the video call ability built into every D-Wheel, Jack?" Goodwin shook his head. "We tried. It wasn't on. Or should I say… the vehicle wasn't on. It was turned off and – parked – somewhere."

_Left lying somewhere._ Those were the words that Goodwin didn't speak, but echoed in the room.

"So what do we do now?" Ushio grumbled. "Send in another team of Securities to look for them?"

"I've already dispatched a team. They would report in later this evening." Goodwin replied. "I and the Security Maintenance Bureau are doing our best to find them. That," he paused, "was not the reason why I brought you all here."

Jack shivered. Called it instinct gained from living in Satellite, but he knew something was coming for him. He focused on Goodwin.

True enough, the Director's steel grey eyes shifted towards Carly and Jack. "Carly, and Jack, did you know Yusei was going to Rosewood beforehand?"

Carly looked stunned. Despite her connections in Security, she had probably never heard of that name. No, she wouldn't have known. Jack frowned. "Why does it matter, Goodwin?"

Opposite the room, he saw that Mikage cringed at the rude way he had replied to Goodwin. The Director himself, appearing completely unperturbed, merely gave an icy smile and continued.

"Did you know of Rosewood, Jack Atlus?"

The blond young man wondered about this sentence's dual meaning. Many people in Satellite knew of Rosewood as a hospital, but that wasn't what Goodwin meant. The Director obviously wanted to know if he knew what Rosewood truly was – a place where the condemned were hidden away from public sight.

"It was a charitable hospital, wasn't it?" Jack decided to throw back the bait. "A lot of people in Satellite knew about it, including me."

"Oh?" Goodwin lifted his eyebrows. "Then was anyone you know ever admitted into Rosewood?"

The Director was fishing. Jack suspected, with a sickening feeling, that Goodwin may know about Kiryu. The Satellite-born young man crossed his arms. "There have been a few. Everyone gets sick once in a while when they were kids." He narrowed his purple eyes. "Why are you asking?"

"I was told that someone you know very well was admitted into Rosewood a few years ago, long term." Goodwin ignored Jack's question. "Apparently he was a very good friend of yours, wasn't he?"

_He knew._ "Does this matter at all?" Jack said in a low, almost threatening, voice.

"Yes it does." Goodwin casually shifted in his seat. "Did Yusei... know?"

Jack paused. He quickly went through his possible choices in his head. There didn't seem to be any point in keeping up the denial. Goodwin seemed to know everything about Kiryu. Moreover, Jack couldn't see the benefit of covering up for Yusei. In fact, the faster Goodwin manages to find Yusei – preferably alive – the better Jack's prospects would be in the future.

"Yes." He answered Goodwin's question. "He did know."

The Director sighed. "I see."

"What – what is going on, Director?" Carly realised she was the only one left in the dark. Mikage and Ushio's faces were gloomy in a way that revelled they knew exactly what was going on in the enigmatic conversation between Jack and Goodwin. Carly was agitated. Wasn't this supposed to be about saving Yusei? Why was everyone so fixated on this random hospital where he had disappeared?

"Carly," Goodwin turned to her, "since you're a good friend of Yusei's, I assume you knew of the suspicions he had concerning Izayoi Aki's fate?"

Carly swallowed. "Ye – yes."

Goodwin let out a long breath. "Enough hiding around. We might as well lay everything out in the open by now. I know that Yusei had, somehow, started to suspect that Izayoi-kun's sentence was not carried out. And he would be right. Izayoi Aki is still alive."

Goodwin paused and looked around the room. Not a single person seemed to be surprised.

"Izayoi-kun may have caused the death of Misty-san's brother," the Director continued, seeing that all of his listeners knew of the situation, "but I do acknowledge the fact that she was provoked. Nonetheless, it was a diplomatic necessity both to appease Misty-san, who is arguably our famous citizen on a global scale, and to show the impartiality of our justice system to other governments within Japan and around the world. To spare Izayoi-kun of her punishment would have reflected poorly on the entire Neo Domino City, and therefore she was an unavoidable sacrifice.

"However, she is Senator Izayoi's only child, after all. Hideo and I have been friends for decades. Neither I, nor the High Judge, could bring ourselves to execute her. So we came to a compromise." Goodwin narrowed his eyes. "We sent her to Rosewood in Satellite, where the City had been storing for a long time those condemned criminals that we could not kill."

"What?" Carly almost stood up from her chair. As a reporter, she instantly caught on the importance of this piece of information. "How could this have been happening? Director… what do you mean? What does that leave our justice system?"

"Calm down, Carly." Goodwin's look was cold as ice. "All cities have their secrets, and this one is no exception. It's not for us to judge."

Carly pouted and looked like she wanted to say more. Jack caught her hand, signalling her to stay quiet. She reluctantly slumped back into her chair.

"Now comes the news. A few weeks ago, Rosewood had been destroyed, by fire. Many of the prisoners and staff have perished – no, we may actually say that all of them perished. However, coincidental to the destruction of Rosewood, a new powerful duel gang rose up in Satellite."

"Those damned duel gangs," Ushio grunted. "Always obsessed with their turf battles. Did they fight over the ruins of Rosewood? I imagine it may be some hot property after all."

"Amusing though that may be, no." The ends of Goodwin's lips twitched. "In fact, this new gang was headed by a hooded woman, whom others called the Black Witch." He looked around at all the occupants in the room, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Do you still consider that as a coincidence?"

Mikage drew in a sharp breath. Ushio jolted up straight. Carly's hands went to her mouth. Jack sat still.

Goodwin closed his eyes. "Your suspicions are well grounded. The Security suspects the same. In fact, we've been hunting for her in Satellite for a while." He sighed. "And we have every reason to suspect that she caused what had happened to Yusei today."

Mikage bolted up. "Then, Director, what are we – "

"Patience, Mikage-san." Goodwin opened his eyes and gave her his characteristic stern look, then he re-directed his gaze to Carly. "Carly, I've called you here before you are one of the few reporters that I know and can trust. Yusei's disappearance is being kept secret for now, but it may leak out. I hope you can use the influence of your paper to quell such rumours before they become uncontrollable, and also hope that you can make appropriate judgements on this matter based on the truth of which I have just told you. We will most certainly find Yusei, but the least we want to do is for the City folks to panic in the main time. Is that clear?"

"Er – yes." Overawed by Goodwin's glare, Carly shrank back and simply nodded.

Goodwin sighed again. "I had hoped to bring you here, Carly, simply to have a quick meeting and tell you that. I did not expect… certain uninvited parties." He gave a quick look at Jack. "If you don't mind, you may leave now. I have further business with Mikage-san and Ushio-san."

Carly and Jack exited without further ado. Mikage and Ushio did not pay attention to the other pair, even though Jack gave a long hard look at everyone else before he left. As soon as the door closed shut behind the reporter and the Satellite-born man, Goodwin stood up from his chair.

"I have dispatched a search and rescue team this afternoon, and I'll dispatch another one tomorrow." The Director said softly. "One of their goals was to recover Yusei. Can you guess their other goal?"

Mikage swallowed. Ushio lowered his head and mumbled, "Izayoi Aki."

"Correct." Goodwin narrowed his eyebrows. "The team's order was to detain Izayoi-kun in any way possible. If she resists, they have orders to eliminate her. She had overstayed her welcome, even as a Senator's daughter." His voice lowered. "I have told the team to report to you two if it happens that I am too busy to personally communicate with them. I want you two to know the gravity of this situation, especially with Izayoi Aki's power in mind. Moreover, if Hideo or any other politicians comes probing, I want you two to handle them as well, placate them the best you can. Under all circumstances, tell them Yusei is fine. Understood?"

Mikage and Ushio gave a look at each other. They've been working together for a few years now, helping Yusei, helping each other. They knew what the Director was asking them to do. They understood the Director's intentions. Goodwin wanted to protect the City – even if it means discarding Yusei and lying to the world. If there was anyone in the Security force who would be concerned with Yusei's current fate at a personal level, then it had to be Mikage and Ushio. They would surely have raised objections if the Director gave someone else the order to make such fake reports to the media. Goodwin had been prudent in telling them the truth – now the question was whether they would choose the welfare of their friend or the prestige of the City.

It was Ushio who answered first. "Well, we're Security officers, Director." He stood up straight. "We gotta do what you tell us."

"I see." Goodwin nodded. "Mikage-san?"

"I – I am the same as him, Director." Mikage also stood up straight. "I will follow your order."

XXXXX

Carly literally ran back toward the house as soon as they got out of the car, leaving a long string of profound apologies behind her as she hurried to make the delayed dinner which Jack had been waiting for. Jack sighed as he watched her run off. After checking that her car had been locked, he casually turned on his D-Wheel, parked next to her car. He checked his D-Wheel at least once a day, a habit left from the days when he needed the machine to be always ready so he could take on enemies or escape at a moment's notice.

The screen lighted up as the computer gradually started. He did a quick mechanical check. The engine was good, the seat hadn't been tempered with, and the giant monowheel remained in good shape. Satisfied, he shifted his attention back to the screen and was ready to turn it off.

Beep. A soft sound indicated that he had a new message sent to his D-Wheel.

Jack was baffled. Who could possibly send a message to his D-Wheel? It wasn't even registered with the City's database. The only database that may be holding his D-Wheel's registration and online account had been left at Satellite, in a little local network that Jack and his friends had set up years ago when they were still kids, to track each other so they wouldn't lose one of their members in a Security pursuit.

Only someone who knew that network can send him messages.

Jack shivered. The garage suddenly seemed so cold and so quiet. But he refused to back down from his fear.

He opened the message.

"_Recovered Stardust. Met Witch and got away. Leader still bent on his goal. Need information. Need help._

_-Bullet"_

"That devious bastard," Jack swore under his breath.

It was Crow. His nickname had been "Crow the Bullet" back in the days. Had Crow been here in person, Jack would have smacked him in the face for scaring the blond man like this. For one second, Jack had genuinely thought that the sender may be Kiryu. Of course, Jack's relief had been instantly replaced by a feeling of immense humiliation. It was as if Crow had tricked him into being scared.

Jack furrowed his brows and chased away that thought. He studied the message again.

So Crow had saved Yusei. What luck, having Yusei in his possession while the entire Security force was in upheavals and Goodwin was ready to sacrifice Yusei to keep the City folk in check. Jack marvelled at Crow's brilliant timing. Perhaps his old friend had been waiting for Yusei and had saved the City-born young man right on time? Then again, it seemed Crow had met both Izayoi and Kiryu and walked away unscathed too. He's definitely got something up his sleeve.

If so, then why would he ask Jack for help?

Crow knew that Jack was currently in the City. He also knew how dangerous it is to send clandestine electric messages from the Satellite to the City. Though many had considered Crow to be a reckless sort of a fellow, Jack knew better. Crow wasn't an idiot.

He would not risk getting caught if he had anyone else that he can rely on.

Jack massaged his temples and half-resented for having being placed into this situation. It was all because of Crow, wasn't it? He was the one who told Jack to flee, and now he was telling Jack that he needed help. How contradictory. And to think that the two of them had barely exchanged more than ten sentences during the long years since Kiryu's imprisonment, Jack couldn't help but feel suspicious at Crow's sudden and renewed interest in him.

Crow was a child of Satellite through and through, Jack recalled. He was rough, rowdy, loud, disobedient, and had more than one violent bone in his body. But the word that described him best would be passionate. He loved Satellite despite its poverty, and Jack knew that Crow was bringing up a few poor orphans at his own hideout. Had Kiryu been more roundabout with his method of attaining his goal, Jack was certain that Crow would have followed their leader unconditionally. There was something big that his friend had involved himself in, something that really endangered something that Crow loves, perhaps even the wellbeing of Satellite itself. Otherwise, the orange-haired man wouldn't be going this far. Jack was sure of that one fact.

Well, he had followed Crow's first piece of advice and he came out of that one in damn good shape. Jack didn't see the need to disobey his second advice.

Navigating through his touch screen to bring up the reply menu, Jack's long and dexterous fingers quickly typed up his answer.

"_What can I do to help?"_

He paused when he realised he needed to give himself a codename since the local network that they had set up made all D-Wheels in it anonymous. It had to be something that Crow recognised. With a bitter grin, Jack typed up the first thing that came into his mind.

"_- King"_

The blond man sent the message with a sigh.

It seemed his future was about to take another abrupt change.

-XXXXX-

So, what do you think? Was the change in tone too abrupt? Was the plot too convoluted? This story is a sort of literary experiment for me, to see if I can hold such a colourful cast and mind-boggling timeline together. Therefore, I'd appreciate any kind of comments on that ^^

Until next time.


	11. II 3: Consignment

Ahh, an update!

I'm glad to know that you've liked this story so far. Honestly, your reviews do make my day ^^. There is absolutely nothing more gratifying than seeing others praise your work. Truly.

Well, I hope what I had in mind for this story will prove to be worth of your wait at the end.

Oh, before I forget, I should warn you: This chapter contains ghastly scenes and ghastly surprises. But then again, you all know what I can do.

Sit back and enjoy.

* * *

**Tertio**

In his last moments of terror, he saw that heartwrenchingly beautiful dragon. The proud head, tilted skywards, was roaring out a broken, melancholic song. Those petals that constituted its scales glinted in the sunlight, bathing it in a surreal halo. Its crimson wings, slicing through the air with ceaseless lethal grace, filled his hazy vision like a sanguineous dawn. Then he was falling, falling through a pandemonium of screams and the sensation of rocks crushing down all around him. His sight darkened. Somewhere behind his eyelids, he saw those sunny afternoons of his childhood again, the times when he played with her and practiced with her, and patted her dragon on the head without fear. What happened to his princess, that she would come and hunt him with her own dragon? He'd seen too much in the past few days, and yet he felt like he was told nothing at all. He's been doing nothing but stabbing in the dark, only to be faced with a bottomless inky blackness.

_So… am I dead?_

His eyelids fluttered as he tentatively squinted open his blue eyes. It sure was a strange heaven. The first thing he saw was the thick black canvas serving as a roof above his head, the fabric sagging slightly under its own weight. Derelict and cracked wooden furniture greeted his sight as he slowly looked around what appeared to be a small shack. The place was quiet and still. There were no birdsong, no sound of cars. It was as if the room had drowned in an ocean of silence, so deep and heavy that it would even swallow his voice if he dared to speak. The only thing that interrupted this was the slight, almost undetectable rustling of the curtain hanging over the door. The stagnant air all around him smelt thickly of musty canvas and the insipid scent of slightly damp fabric, as if the room hasn't seen the light of day for years. The linen beneath his hands felt rough and thin, and his back could clearly feel the hard mattress beneath that layer of cloth. Yusei blinked as he felt a dull throbbing pain at the back of his head. No, he was still alive.

He turned his head, realising he was still too sore to make a quick move. One look confirmed that he was alone in this silent small room. No one sat beside his bed or hovered above him. There was a small bundle lying on the tiny table beside his bed, a bundle that he recognised to be his deck box. Stretching out a feeble hand, Yusei snatched it and opened it. Yes, it was his deck. That was one small relief.

Putting his hands beneath his torso, Yusei gingerly sat up. Now that he focused his hearing, he could actually vaguely hear the sound of an engine, as if someone was testing a vehicle further away. Looking down onto the floor, he saw that his boots had been neatly placed next to his bed. Feeling still a little dizzy, he carefully bent down and put them on his feet. The rather chilly feeling this shack told him it was probably sometime around early morning or late dusk, though he could not be sure if it was still the same day as the day when he had entered Satellite. Standing up, the City-born young man gave a look around the bed and the shack to make sure there was nothing he had missed. He massaged his temples with his fingers and briefly shut his eyes to adjust to the sudden headache that had accompanied his rising. When he opened his eyes again, those blue irises were once more as clear and alert as they had been when he was still back in the City. This was Satellite, after all, and he knew close to nothing about his rescuer.

As he shuffled closer to the fabric over the door that served as curtain, the sound of the engine became louder and louder. It seemed the machine was closer than he had thought. Brushing the heavy fabric aside so he could look out, Yusei saw that someone was huddled over his own red D-Wheel, wrench in hand and a toolbox next to him.

He must have gasped or made some other sound out of surprise, because the man attending to his D-Wheel turned around to fully face Yusei. Yusei stared back into a face almost covered with Markers, topped by a head of spiking orange hair. The Satellite young man's grey eyes narrowed and his dice earring shifted with the movement of his head as he looked Yusei over from head to toe in the early morning sunshine.

"Fudo Yusei." The Satellite man sighed. "You're finally awake."

"You… who are you?" Yusei stammered. He was deep in the bowels of Satellite, held by a man who had evidently had more than his share of crimes, and the said man was currently adjusting his prized D-Wheel for god knows what. He took a small step back.

Those grey eyes tilted up a little in a look that Yusei could almost call melancholic. "Ah… I see. I am Crow."

_Crow…?_ The name sounded horribly familiar, but Yusei could not recall it no matter how hard he sought for it in his still-muddled brain.

Crow gave a bitter smile. His gloved hand went to his side. "You know, King, it really hurt when you knocked me off my D-Wheel the other night."

"You…" That's right; he was the man whom Yusei had chased, the one who had ambushed Ruka. "Why did you save me?"

"So suspicious, you City folks are." Crow scratched the back of his head. "But I'll forgive you. Although I have no doubt that you've heard a lot about me, it's nothing compared to how much I've heard about you."

"Me?" Yusei felt another wave of nausea invading his head. It was probably not a good idea to get up as soon as he woke. He reached out a hand to hold on to the door frame.

"Correct. You. From Izayoi." Crow replied.

He saw the City-born man's blue irises widen. Yusei's gloved hand clutched harder at the doorway as he stared at Crow with even more distrust and enmity. Grey and blue orbs locked each other in sight for a brief moment, neither willing to back down. It was Crow who first coughed and broke the silence.

"There's no need to look at me like that, Fudo Yusei." Crow tilted up his head. "You want to know why I saved you? Fine. But I have one question to ask you before that."

"Go ahead." Yusei replied in a low voice.

"Are you here to save Izayoi?"

Yusei bit his lower lip. It wasn't anything like the questions he had been prepared for.

"What if I am, Crow?"

Crow chuckled. "Well answered, Yusei. You see, that's precisely what I saved you for."

"What…?" Yusei tried to figure out what he had heard. Just what had been going on in Satellite, in Rosewood?

"You heard me right." Crow's mouth pressed into a rigid straight line, the corners of his lips dipped in determined resolve. "I am helping you, so you can help me save Izayoi."

-\\\\\-

-\\\\\-

_It had already been a week since she agreed to look after the man called Divine. It was better than she had imagined. The man had not made her work difficult. It appeared that he… simply refused to notice her, but did register her presence and ate his own food in silence. It was a peaceful job for Izayoi Aki._

_She had wondered about him as she sat beside his bed and looked at his face. So he had been a psychic duelist, just like her. She wondered about what he had seen, what he had done, and what his thoughts were when he first came here. There were many things that she wanted to ask him, yet he gave her no answer. He was not mute, nor was he deaf; he had only shut himself inside his own world._

"_Divine-san," she greeted him as she leaned forward to take the empty breakfast tray off the small table beside his bed. Though he never responded, she always treated him as if he could. "Was the food to your liking today?" No reply, and she did not expect one. "Well, I see that you've eaten it all, Divine-san. So I'll take that as a good sign." She smiled as she swept up his spoon as well. "I suppose I'll see you again at lunch, then." She gave him a little nod. "Like I said, I'll be taking care of you for a long while."_

_She had said those same words to him for a few times already, and therefore she had expected him to ignore them like he always did._

_And yet, as she was about to open the door and leave, she spied movement from the corner of her eyes._

_He tilted his head toward her and looked directly at her face._

"_Divine… -san?"_

_Framed by his long mahogany hair, his green eyes stared at her. His look wasn't piercing, nor was it threatening, but it observed her with emotion and comprehension. If she had to describe how he looked, she would compare it to the look of an intelligent beast. A literate creature imprisoned behind a wall of silence, unable to put its wisdom into human speech but nonetheless showed its brilliance for the world to see in the spark of recognition that shone in its eyes. That was how the man known as Divine looked at her, as if he suddenly wanted to speak, but was held back by some power greater than his mind._

"_Divine-san, are you alright?" She turned around and walked back to his bed, placing the tray back down onto the table. "Is there anything I can help you with?"_

_She moved her hand toward his face to check if he was having a fever, but he flinched. Hastily, she put her hand back down, feeling at a loss. What was it that he wanted? This was the most reaction she had ever gotten out of him in the past seven days, and she didn't know how to deal with it._

"_Uh… if there's nothing, then I should be going." Not knowing what else she could do for him, she moved to pick up the tray again._

_He kept his gaze on her and followed her movement. She froze and looked up at him. Those green eyes were narrowed with displeasure._

_Then something clicked in her. How often do the nurses come in to see him, anyways? Once a day? Once every three days? They were definitely not as frequent as Aki. And since she had never even heard of this man Divine leaving his room, she realised that the amount of time he spent with other human beings was so short it would drive anyone insane._

"_Divine-san, you… don't want me to leave, do you? You want me to stay and talk to you for a bit longer; is that correct?"_

_The eyelids were lowered slightly in reluctant agreement._

_She let a small smile grace her lips. The nurses would not mind if she took longer than usual in his room. Leaving the trays well alone, she sat down on the small chair next to his bed and looked into his face. He shifted his gaze and lowered his head, staring at the bed sheets instead. The gentle rustle of the rose bushes continued outside, audible even at this height. She sighed a little, suddenly realising that she didn't really know what to say to him. Then she decided since he was as good as mute, she could say anything to him and it would have been fine._

"_Then, Divine-san, I'll start by telling you a little about myself. How does that sound?"_

_He didn't nod, but she went ahead nonetheless. _

"_Well, like I said, I'm Izayoi Aki, the only child of Senator Izayoi Hideo." She almost laughed at how empty those titles now sound. "I was sent here because I had… killed a child. Inadvertently, but I still did that. Moreover, he was the younger brother of a world-famous model, Misty. So I had to be __punished__, at least in name. That was why I'm here."_

_She looked down. "I may not look much, Divine-san, and you may think it could not be possible for me to kill a child. But the truth is, I'm a psychic duelist… and I had simply lost control of myself."_

_She did not notice how he had shifted in his bed and looked up at her._

"_That what I can't get over." She continued. "How psychic duelists like us had to be punished for something that we have no control over. My parents were terrified of my powers when I was still a kid, so they got someone to forge this hair clip for me, this thing that can restrain my power a little. But it wasn't enough on that day. Those boys… I got too angry and let out everything I had on him… No matter how I try to blame it on the psychic power, it is still my fault at the end. It's just I don't know why – why I am cursed with this power, why I am born with this… this thing."_

_She was getting far too emotional. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. She shouldn't let it lose on someone as wounded as Divine._

"_Sorry, Divine-san." She took a few more deep breaths to regain her composure, having no idea that merely talking about it could still rile her up so much. "I shouldn't have troubled you –"_

_He reached out and caught her wrist._

_Aki gasped and instinctively tried to throw him off. But he held on with unexpected strength._

"_A… psy… chic… duel… list…?"_

_Those raspy, hoarse words grated on her ears as she stared at the man before her in incomprehension. "Divine-san, you… you're talking…!"_

"_A… psy… chic…? Then… I… have… a… way… out…"_

_Her eyes shot open wide. Her hand moved to grasp his hand instinctively. "W-what did you say?" She was hyperventilating; she could feel her own chest rising and falling faster than she had ever experienced. This couldn't be happening._

"_A… way… out…" His lips moved slightly upwards, forming a wraith of a smile on his lean and wean face. With the morning sunshine pouring into the room, his pale flesh might well have been transparent, and his figure only a fragment of her imagination. "I… will… show… you… our… only… es… cape…" His hand shook as he kept his hold on her hand, not letting it go as if his entire world depended on it. "To… day…"_

-\\\\\-

-\\\\\-

"I finally got through to you, Chairman. You're a difficult man to find."

Goodwin did not conceal the icy displeasure in his voice as the phone was finally answered. This man had evaded him for too long.

"Ah, Director. My apologies. I've been busy, as you may have gathered."

Goodwin frowned. "Yes, very busy, especially since Rosewood Hospital," he paused for emphasis, so the other man understood the gravity of the situation, "**your** hospital – had been destroyed by Izayoi-kun."

The other end of the line chuckled. "Director, you know me. I'm a businessman. Profit comes first and foremost. Since Rosewood is no longer standing, our contract is virtually void. There's nothing I can do for you anymore, Director."

"I'm not making a phone call to make you pay for damages, Chairman." Goodwin's tone of voice betrayed his rising irritation. "I'm here to ask you a question."

There was a pause. "Go ahead, Director."

"Why did you use Izayoi Aki?"

The man on the other side of the line was silent for a long time. "Why? Why do you think, Director?"

"We had an agreement, Chairman." Goodwin's voice was stern. "We agreed to never use her. Goddamnit, she is Hideo's daughter, and no one ever intended –"

"Director, your emotion is getting the better of your logic." The other voice in the phone was soothing, calm, and completely unperturbed. "What we agreed was that we'll never use her as long as we had _other options_. That was not the case. Without Divine, we had no choice but to harvest Izayoi." The man paused. "Isn't it all for the good of the City, Director?"

Goodwin chocked back a retort. The man in the phone laughed in a low voice.

"That's right, Director. Without Aki, we would never have gotten to where we are today. She is only one human. Think of the benefit her sacrifice could bring to the millions of other humans living in our City. Isn't that your vision as well, Goodwin? Isn't that all of our visions?"

"Be glad you aren't in the City right now," Goodwin gritted his teeth. "Otherwise I am sorely tempted to wring your neck with my own hands."

"Don't say that, Rex. I'm sure you can deal with what is happening right now." The voice sniggered. "Good day, Director. I still have a meeting to get to. I'll be in touch later."

With that, the call was disconnected, leaving Goodwin to stare at the phone in barely suppressed anger.

-\\\\\-

-\\\\\-

"_Man on the roof! Man on the roof!"_

_The alarm was tearing through the building like a storm. The sounds of tens of galloping boots shook the corridor as Security officers all bolted upwards toward their destination. Residents pocked out their heads, more curious than anything else, and watched this debacle unfold. Guards and nurses all ran upstairs in a cacophony of urgency, ignoring their other charges as if nothing else mattered. The peaceful, numbing tranquillity of Rosewood had been brutally disrupted this afternoon as it suddenly turned into a chaotic beehive of endless activity._

_Like all other residents, Aki was confused about what was going on. She was in her room in the East Wing, about to go to Divine to deliver him an early dinner, when all this occurred. She poked her head out of the door, only to be greeted with Kiryu, who had literally rushed up the stairs and sprinted to her room._

"_Aki! Are you alright? I just got back and I need to see –"_

"_What's going on, Kiryu?" She dragged him inside her room to avoid a horde of Securities running past and dashing upstairs. The officers were all issuing commands, directing the staff to different parts of the building. The tension in their voices made her feel like a natural disaster was about hit the building and swallow them all. It had gotten so loud that she had to raise her voice to talk to Kiryu._

"_There's someone on the roof." He grabbed her hands. "Thank god you're still here. I thought –"_

"_What's with a man on the roof?" She didn't understand what he meant. "Why are there so many Securities? And are we suppose to evacuate somewhere?"_

"_No, no." He rapidly shook his head, silver hair flying. "It's just you. Stay here, Aki. Don't go anywhere, no matter what others tell you to. I don't want you to be involved in this."_

"_Involved in what?" She was even more confused. "What's going on?"_

"_It's a big mess out there." He ignored her question. "They've brought in more officers and even a negotiator with his speakers." She could hear the siren being started down in the courtyard. "Just stay in the room and pay no attention to the outside."_

"_But I'm supposed to send food to Divine right now." She protested. "I agreed with the matron yesterday! Despite all this, normal activities are still allowed to be carried out, right? Especially for someone like Divine."_

_He stared at her. "Do you know who's on the roof?" _

_She shook her head._

"_It's Divine."_

_She gasped._

"_So that's what he meant!" She jolted up. It was as if she came to a sudden understanding. Dazed, Kiryu stayed where he was and looked at her in incomprehension. "I see now! Kiryu," she grasped his hand, "I haven't gotten around to telling you this. Divine actually spoke today. He told me that he knows a way to get out of here, the only way to escape! I see now! I need to go up there with him!"_

_With that, she took two large steps and tried to dash out of the room._

"_No you don't!" He locked his two arms around her waist, and physically threw her back into the room. "Aki, listen to me! Divine is insane! Why are you even believing in him!" She struggled in his hold, trying to get free, thrashing and turning. Seeing no other choices, he slammed her back down into her bed, grabbing her wrists to keep her still. "Aki! There is no way out of Rosewood! If you go out right now, the Securities will never let you out of a cell! Do you think that others haven't tried to escape before you? Don't. Listen. To. Divine!"_

"_Let me go, Kiryu!" She tried her best to push him back. "He is… we are psychic duelists! There's a way out if we work together. I knew it… let me go up!"_

"_No." His voice sounded pained, but still resolute, as if he was struggling to break a bad news to her. "No, Aki, you can't. Half the Security officers are up there. You'd be detained instantly if you go up. Stay here," his hands clenched tighter around her wrists, "stay here and live. Don't follow Divine."_

"_But – " She was in the middle of protesting when the red and blue light of the Security trucks pierced the dimming late afternoon sky and shone straight into her room, bathing the white wallpaper into strange shades of alarming vividness. She jolted, and he took a sharp breath too. Rosewood's Security retinue don't have vehicles. This could only mean that the Satellite Security force had been brought into this silent and isolated prison, something that had never happened before._

_Then came the loud speakers._

"_You on the roof, step back from the edge! Step back!"_

"_That sounds terribly close." She muttered as she sat up. He had already moved his head toward the window and peeked outside. "It's as if they're directly below us."_

"_They are." He said in a low voice, giving her a glance. Though her face still look flushed, the presence of Satellite Security had definitely made her less eager to rush up to the roof. "They are right below your room, Aki. But then again… Divine's room is in the same wing as yours." He looked up at the ceiling as if he could see through it. "I think he could be right above us at this moment."_

_She took a shuddering breath and joined him next to the window. Since the sky outside was still bright with the sunshine of the late summer afternoon, she hadn't drawn the curtain close and they could clearly see the Security officers gathering in the courtyard directly below them. Seven or eight cars had already pulled up, and about two dozen officers were looking up wearily at the rooftop. They seemed to pay no attention the people peeking out from behind their windows. They were completely focused on the man above them all. _

"_Divine!" The Security negotiator standing in front of all the others held a loud speaker in his hands, and his voice boomed out to envelope the entire compound. "Stop this foolishness! Get down from the roof! Don't do anything stupid! We can talk through anything you want, just step back! Divine!"_

_Aki and Kiryu held their breath as the Security negotiator kept trying to talk some sense into Divine. For all they knew, the guards could be sneaking up on the man on the roof while the Security kept Divine's attention towards the ground. The entire debacle should end without anyone being hurt, and the matron would probably sigh and consign to the fact that Divine had most more of his sanity._

_What neither of them had expected was for Divine to actually reply in an audible voice._

"_No…" That hoarse, rasping, and yet strong voice made Kiryu jump in surprise, and he instinctively looked upward as if he could somehow behold the owner of that voice with his own eyes. Aki bit her lip. She had no idea what Divine had planned, but she was resolved to see it to the end no matter what Kiryu may tell her to do._

"_No… not… going… back," those words were said slowly and drawn out, like a man recovering his speech from a long and deep slumber. "Not… nego…tiating… either." Divine had probably taken a step toward the edge, judging from the shock on the Security's faces on the ground. "I… am… esca… ping."_

_The Securities blinked, not sure of how to respond. Kiryu cursed beneath his breath. "Damnit! Don't tell me that he's actually got a Duel Disk and some cards with him. Is he going to blast his way out?"_

_That question was evidently on the mind of the Securities too. A few of them gathered together and spoke in hushed voices. But that was not quick enough to stop Divine._

"_Aki… chan? Are… you… watching, A… ki… chan? I'm… getting… out… the… only… way… for… us… to… escape… Watch… me…!"_

_Kiryu turned and stared at her, eyes wide with shock and fear. Meanwhile, Aki felt like her breath had caught in her throat, and she couldn't even make a sound. She didn't understand what was going on either. How could he possibly esca –?_

_In the end, it all happened too quickly for her._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!" Before she finished thinking, a bloodcurdling scream had came out of the Security negotiator's throat as he backed away rapidly in pure terror. Instinctively, Kiryu and Aki looked outside. As if he had suddenly been hit by realisation, Kiryu also let out a horrified yell and swung his hand around to cover up Aki's eyes._

"_No! Don't look, Aki! Don't look!"_

_Too late. Kiryu's hand had missed its mark in his confusion, covering Aki's mouth instead. Her eyes and ears had captured everything as Divine leapt from the roof and fell to the pavement six storeys below. It must have only taken him a few seconds to fall to the ground, but it seemed like forever to her eyes. She knew when his feet left the roof from the gasping faces of the Securities, caught the he shadow over her room as his falling figure momentarily blocked out the sun, and watched his back in a trance till she heard the distinctive sound of something smashing to the ground. Then, after the impact, she saw what Kiryu had tried to protect her from. Blood. Splattering blood. Blood seeping out from the snapped body, graduating expanding its circle of scarlet terror. Red blood, too bright for her to stare at, mixing with gore and brains. Blood was foaming out of joints and limbs out of place. Blood was bathing the organs that were displaced. Blood was covering that twisted neck – such a hellish scene was Divine's escape._

_That was the way out. He had said as much. The __**only**__ way out._

_She felt dizzy. She felt nauseas and she felt her stomach constriction. She felt her brain was being overloaded with something, something shocking and overwhelming, so much so that it had forced her to forget to breath. Was that Divine's answer? What did that mean? What did he mean by that? This is not escape! This is death! This is the end! That's not what an escape is meant to be! An escape is meant to have a future to go with it! You're supposed to live on after you've escaped! This doesn't make sense it doesn't make sense it's not making sense her brain is refusing to make any sense…_

"_Aki!" Kiryu was screaming. What was he saying? Oh yeah, her name. Why was he screaming? Why was he looking so fuzzy? Why is the world turning blac – _

_The storm of thoughts in Izayoi Aki's head was abruptly cut off as her physique finally gave up. She fainted, slumping into Kiryu's arms, who was still screaming her name._

_Kiryu's hands slipped and her dead weight crashed to the floor, falling like Divine had fallen, except not from such a great height. _

_That was the beginning of her fall. From that day, her life at Rosewood had been over._

XXXXX

Too shocked for now?

Well, I apologise if it really did shock you. Maybe I should consider upping my stories to M rating one day, after all…

Any feedback on this would be welcome.

Also, this chapter was completed when I got the news that 5D's is finishing. It's probably old news for many of you, but hey, I don't keep up with the Internet now. It felt sad. As fanfic authors, we're undeniably dependent on the series. Without the series, there would be no fanfiction, no matter how much passion we put in. Yet, when a series finishes and is gradually forgotten, what does that make of our work, our sweat and tears, all the emotions that we put in? It felt sad to look back on the days of ygo proper and GX, to remember those times, and to realise that fanfic authors can just be like leaves blown in the wind, chasing one series after another in an endless dance. Time moves on. People move on. And our words will also lay forgotten together with the series… as if they didn't even matter in the first place.

Melancholia. That's one predicament I need to get myself out of.


	12. II 4: Penance

Don't worry, I'm still writing. Just very very slowly...

* * *

**Quarto**

"Here. Eat up."

Yusei blinked as Crow shoved a plate full of food before his face. They had moved back inside the shack and he had vaguely heard the Satellite-born man preparing breakfast not far away.

"What's with the hesitance? I'm not going to poison you, if that's what you're thinking?" Crow snorted. "By the way, if you can't remember, you've been asleep for a whole day." He grinned at Yusei's surprised expression. "That's right; it's been almost two days since you entered Satellite. I bet you're going to start feeling hungry very soon, don't you think?"

He made a point. Yusei grudgingly conceded and went on to eat.

They then spent the rest of the morning talking. Crow had told him that due to the recent disturbances, the recycling plants in Satellite had been temporarily closed. Therefore, the majority of the people in Satellite were relishing in the fact that they don't have to work everyday. Crow also explained to Yusei that he had been fiddling with the City-born man's red D-Wheel due to the damage the machine had received when Rosewood had finally collapsed, and reassured the King that all was well with the D-Wheel now.

And then Crow progressed to tell Yusei what had happened when he entered Rosewood, what and who had caused the building to collapse on top of the King, and Crow's own bargaining and duress afterwards as he rescued Yusei. Yusei had simply sat unmoving while he let this unbelievable truth soak into his brain, all the time cradling the mug of hot tea that Crow had made. The burning touch of the rough ceramic mug reassured that yes, he was still connected to reality. And no, this was not a dream. This was real.

Crow had stopped. He had finished recounting the recent events, the events that caused Yusei to be stranded here in Satellite, pursuing after a woman whom he no longer knew.

But it was time for Crow to tell him everything else as well.

Everything that had lead to this point. From Aki's entry into this world of unknowns, to the inexplicable connection running through that strange birthmark, to the destined meeting with Kiryu in that cursed 'hospital', and the reason behind her unreasonable fury and hatred toward the City. It was time for Yusei to hear it all.

As if sensing this thought from the blue-eyed young man, Crow coughed and shifted. They had been sitting in the shack for a while, and his cough had disturbed the silence that had so delicately fallen back upon this room.

"Crow…" Yusei started as he took a deep breath of the stale, heavy air in the room. "Let's talk about everything from the beginning, from the very beginning, if you please."

Instead of replying instantly, Crow took a long pause. Finally, he exhaled one long breath, his brow nodded together. "I knew this was coming sooner or later." He put his hands on top of his knees. "What do you want to know, Fudo Yusei?"

"Right from when she came to Rosewood," Yusei sighed with something close to resignation. Leaving back his head, he cradled the mug in his palms almost subconsciously. "From the moment that you met her in Satellite."

"Very well." With a cough, Crow looked like he was about to start. "I'll start from the day I actually saw her. I didn't meet her straightaway, so I can only tell you some facts or rumours for certain things. I've gotta warn you though, Fudo Yusei, this isn't a pretty story."

"I knew that by now." Closing his eyes, Yusei flung the back of his left hand to his forehead. "Just go ahead."

-\\\\\-

-\\\\\-

_There was one rule in Rosewood that must not be broken no matter what – no Duel Monster games are allowed on the grounds._

_This did not only restrict the 'patients' here, but the staff and all the guards and securities as well._

_That was the loophole in which Crow Hogan managed to worm his way into the tightly-controlled institution._

_It wa__s unimaginable for anyone in this world to not play Duel Monsters. A deck was a pre-requisite for every man and woman, child and elderly. Those who did not have a mobile phone had a deck, those who did not have a house had a deck, and even those who lived as the lowest of the low had a deck._

_Therefore, not to be able to play it and not having a Duel Disk to do so – was almost torture to the guards._

_Crow relieved them of that torture._

_He rented them clandestine Duel Disks, made in the slums of Satellite by local mechanics and untraceable by City systems. He also had black market cards for sale if certain parties are so inclined. Of course, he was walking a thin line. If he were ever caught doing this, then he'll have more than just a few more Markers on his face. Not even all the money that he was making out of this could ever cover for the possible punishment._

_But the money wasn't what was driving Crow to step into this murky world. It was Kiryu._

_Despite his appearances, Crow cared for many things, even if not many people could perceive that through his loud and rowdy ways. Truth was, Crow felt guilty after Jack left. Kiryu's arrest left their gang in tatters. Crow had tried to persuade Jack to stay and recreate their power together, but the blond was dead set in what he wanted to do. He wanted to leave their old hideout and their old memories and start anew. On one night, Jack took a few of his most trusted men from what was left of their gang and left. Crow didn't want to keep holding together the remaining motley crew and the group was finally disbanded._

_Crow lived quietly on while Jack rose to greatness. Crow gathered the orphans who had nowhere to go while Jack conquered territory after territory. And Crow remembered Kiryu. And Crow entered into the darkness of Rosewood in his own volition, trying to hold on to whatever was left of his oldest, and best, friend._

_Therefore, he was genuinely surprised the first time that he saw her, which must had been just a few days since she arrived. She was talking animatedly with Kiryu, he recalled. It was hard to miss her. The scarlet hair that reflected the dull sunlight seemed to defy the monochrome languidness of the hospital, and the long fringes flying suavely in the wind brought an unmistakable liveliness to her figure. He had watched, watched as she chatted to his friend with enthusiasm, watched as she blossomed so brightly in this desolation of thorns. Female admissions to Rosewood were rare, and ones as beautiful as her were even rarer._

"_Crow, you ain't gonna talk to her?"_

_A guard, one of his regulars, winked at him._

_He had declined the suggestion with a crooked grin, saying that she seemed content enough with Kiryu. He let them be, left the place on his black D-Wheel, and returned to roaming the shady alleyways of Satellite, away from her smiles in that place of lifeless sun. She and Kiryu had seemed happy together on that late July day. He did not wish to intrude into what small happiness Kiryu could afford to have in that strange prison. She is just another admission there, after all. He had plenty of time to get to know her better in the future._

_He returned for another batch of goods a fortnight later. The guards had filled him in on the news then. Divine, one of the most mysterious and protected inhabitants in the complex, had 'passed on'. While he merely nodded at what could only be regarded as a piece of trivia in this complex where men do not emerge alive, it was the fear and trepidation with which the guards had whispered the next news that made him pause._

"_That woman Izayoi had taken Divine's place."_

"_Izayoi…?" The uncommon surname rolled off his tongue as he questioned, confused._

"_You know, that red-haired girl who was talking to Kiryu the last time you came. They took her upstairs. She even lives in the same room as Divine did. They're saying that the doctors made her his replacement."_

_Well, what does that actually mean?  
_

_The guards didn't know, nor did they want to know. They had nothing to tell him. Divine was a strange existence, a person that had been paid special attention even in this special institution, something to be locked up deep within the bowels of the building and never let out. At least, that was his impression over the years.__ He had pondered what the guards meant as he walked out of their dormitories and sauntered slowly towards the main entrance in the suffocating sunlight that drowned out the courtyard in the late summer afternoon. The blanching heat had driven most inhabitants indoors. The sun reflected off the white stones on the ground, off the white buildings around him, and off the white dresses that all patients wore. It was a flaccid and lazy ocean of light that whispered drowsiness to his bones, a cage of brightness that enveloped everyone in its gentle lullaby. It was the ideal afternoon to take a nap, which he assumed the majority of the people here were actually doing._

_However, in this whitewashed sea of haze, the red-haired woman sitting in the bench next to the courtyard wall managed to catch his eye as he proceeded to walk toward the courtyard's front door._

_He and she__ turned and saw each other at the same time in that afternoon. He was in his usual riding gear of black and yellow, staring surprised at her, a stain on this pristine world. She was in the white patient robes, looking passively on, her sanguine hair the only sign of her identity in this whitewashed sea. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do, whether or not to approach her without being introduced first. He must admit, the talk of the guards had gotten to him._

"_Um… you must be Izayoi Aki." She was still staring at him. Since he started the conversation, he saw no alternatives but keep talking. "Um…" the distance between them was eliminated with a few quick steps of his, "I'm Crow Hogan."_

_She remained silent, and only gazed up right into his face._

_He shuddered. By God, those eyes._

_The mahogany irises that stared into his own steel-grey orbs were devoid anything except emptiness. Crow dug his heels into the soil to prevent himself from stumbling back. Glazed, empty, she simply moved her eyeballs to his direction, nothing more. It couldn't even be called a look, for he can't be sure if she even saw anything with those eyes. There was no emotion, no curiosity, and no life. The animated figure he had seen with Kiryu had disappeared into nothingness as if it was an illusion, and there was nothing he could do about it._

_Indeed, he almost thought he was imagining things. Was this really the same girl he saw just a little while ago? Or was it…_

_Crow's heart skipped a beat. He was too late, just like with Kiryu. Similar to her, his friend's happy and joyous self had been swallowed up and lost __in Rosewood before Crow managed to gather enough courage to help, and their empty shells were all that the orange-haired man was going to receive. He cursed beneath his breath, cursing his ill luck more than anything else._

"_You… are…"_

"_Holy –!" She could still speak. That was a relief, but the abrupt way with which she began really startled him. Thank goodness she wasn't mute and creepy like Divine. Crow had only met Divine once and the man's silence had utterly unsettled him. "Err, Izayoi-san, I –"_

"_Did you say your name is… Crow?"_

_She interrupted him. He blinked, not sure what she meant._

"_I've heard about you, Crow-san… from Kiryu."_

"_Ki-Kiryu mentioned me to you?" He laughed awkwardly, the sound echoing in the empty courtyard. "Ahaha, I… I'm honoured."_

"_My… apologies. Would you… like a seat?" Cautiously, she gestured to the space next to her. Her face had shifted. There was something on it now, something that he found rather incredulous. That blank visage had something he couldn't really read. Was it expectation, or eagerness? Or perhaps even relief?_

"_Um… Sure." Uncertain with what she wanted, he sat down gingerly. She no longer looked at him, but lifted her head up towards the sky, as if recalling something, or wondering about an ancient dream._

"_Kiryu… grew up with you, didn't he?"_

"_Ah – yes."_

"_And had he – always been such a dreamer?"_

"_He can be one," he chimed along, feeling like he was speaking to one of his young kids back at his hideout rather than to a grown young woman._

"_He told me his dream." She continued on in a serene voice, ignoring his puzzled look. "He told me he dreamt of liberating Satellite, of creating a new City where there are no prejudices and no poverty. Isn't that… a wonderful dream?"_

_He paused. He saw what was going on. Kiryu had told her of his ideals, and for some reason, she had bought it. But Kiryu's dream was unachievable. It could only remain a dream, nothing more. As long as humanity remains what it is, there will always be discrimination and poverty. It is within our very nature. At least, that was how Crow had concluded, and how he had wretched himself away from Kiryu's proposed utopia that only led them to more destruction._

"_That's right. It was a wonderful dream. So what are –"_

_She ignored his attempt at changing the topic. As if determined to say everything at once, she did not allow him to interrupt her. "Kiryu came and sat next to my bed the night after I replaced Divine-san and told me his dream… it was one of the best things I've ever heard about. It would be utopia… wouldn't you agree, Crow-san?"_

"_I – err, Izayoi…"_

_He saw how much Kiryu's ideals had taken root within her as she turned to him. She was smiling. She was offering him a broken, desperate smile. Her eyes were glazed over, and he almost questioned her sanity. What had driver her to this state? What had driven her to escape into Kiryu's wild beliefs? "Izayoi…" It hurt him to do this, but he had never believed in Kiryu's false hope. Kiryu's mad. His dream was an illusion. He killed a man for it. He had destroyed so much without moving even one step closer to his imaginary goal._

"_That dream is something to live for, isn't it?"_

"_H-Hey, Izayoi." He leaned forward tentatively. "What's going on? Why are you saying all this?"_

"_They tell me that it's all for the goodness of the City, for the goodness of humanity. I am to serve, to repent, and to benefit all." What was she saying now? "My sacrifice would bring joy to millions, and would atone my sins… but I don't want to, Crow-san. They didn't allow me to understand." She was breathing quickly. Crow tensed up. What's going on? "Why is it always my fault? Why must I always be blamed? Kiryu showed me how the world should be. I –"_

_A single tear dropped down that beautiful, scarred face. Crow didn't know what to do. She didn't move to wipe that tear away. It was as if she was oblivious to its existence – no, she knew what was going on. She lowered her face and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Her body shook with the effort to control herself._

"_Where are you… Yusei?"_

"_Yusei? You mean, THE Yusei? You know Fudo Yusei?" Hell, what is this? Sure, she's from the City, but he never expected her to be from so high up. Crow was simply stunned with what she had just said. Why would anyone ever put such a high-born City girl into a Rosewood prison?_

"_You're a liar, Yusei…" She only sobbed, letting out whatever she had been holding up within her. "You said you'd be here for me. You said you'll help me deal with myself. But for all your promises… there was nothing. You lied. You only said it because it was the proper thing to say. You aren't here for me, not now, not ever. You left me here to rot –"_

"_Izayoi-san!" With a terrified yell, a white-clad young nurse sprang out of the main doors and rushed toward Aki, obviously having just realised the City girl's absence. She rushed toward Aki while the girl kept muttering and sobbing. "Izayoi-san, what's going on? Taking her hand, the nurse quickly checked her pulse and temperature, her face overcast with fear. "Please don't exert yourself, Izayoi-san. I'll get you back right away."_

"_And you, Crow!" Crow winced for the lecture that he knew was coming. "Please do not trouble Izayoi-san again. We allow you to come here out of mutual benefit, but Izayoi-san is out of bounds for you. If you're ever seen with her again, I'll have to warn you that you may be removed from Rosewood for good."_

_Crow swallowed and tried to defend himself. "But I wasn't even doing any __–"_

"_Come, Izayoi-san. Let's go back." The nurse was already helping the sobbing girl up and walking away from Crow, ignoring his protests completely. Defeated, he shut his mouth, and sank back into the chair._

_What the hell had that been about?_

_He had thought Rosewood was for Satellite criminals only. Surely the City has its full of prisons. But it seemed he was wrong. That girl wasn't just anyone. She knew the King personally, for heaven's sake. Who would put someone like her in here? And what had Rosewood done to her?_

_Crow recalled how she had been when he saw her just a little while ago. It didn't make sense. There was something going on in Rosewood. Something very wrong._

-\\\\\-

-\\\\\-

"We need to go."

"What?" Yusei sat up as Crow suddenly muttered this in a low voice. The Satellite resident abruptly stopped talking, and sat very still as if he was a hare trying to hide from the eyes of an eagle. The dense silence of the hut returned, drowning out all memories of their conversation, and even their breathing sounded loud on Yusei's eardrums.

"Kiryu's here".

Crow whispered even quieter. He motioned toward a red dot flashing on his Duel Disk, which was strapped on his arm. "Didn't know how he found me this quickly, but he's here."

Slowly and deliberately, the grey-eyed young man stood up and approached the door. "Can you still ride, Yusei?"

"Still a bit dizzy, but I'll be fine." Yusei carefully massaged his temples. They still throbbed quite a bit.

"He's here for you, no doubt." Crow murmured and gave Yusei a look. "You've got your deck. Let's move to somewhere safer in Satellite then. I know a spot where he wouldn't dare to attack. This way."

As Crow mentioned for the King to follow him, Yusei stood up – and stumbled.

No, it was only fair to say that he tumbled down towards the ground the moment he took one step forward. Instinctively, he reached out for the table next to him, but the wood slipped away from his feeble grip. Yusei bit his teeth and prepared himself a hard fall into the floor, only to find a strong arm holding onto his waist and bodily heaving him up.

"Like hell you're fine." Crow swore under his breath. "No way can you ride a D-Wheel in your condition." The Satellite young man's brows knotted together. "I guess we have no choice. I'll go hide the D-Wheels, and we'll sit this out."

Crow dashed out after he made sure Yusei was sitting down again. The blue-eyed young man could hear the other rummaging through some fabric and wood pieces outside, then the screech of wheels as the vehicles were moved away. Yusei wanted to stand up again, but decided against it. He wasn't too eager for landing face first on the hard earthen floor.

"Done." Crow emerged through the curtain a few minutes later. "Now all we have to do is hide."

The Satellite man grabbed Yusei's arm before the latter could protest and ducked through a door frame. Beyond was a much smaller room littered with broken furniture. Crow inched toward a large wardrobe, checked around it, then started to push it aside. As the dark passage cut into the wall began to emerge behind the wardrobe, Yusei could feel a breeze of fresh air coming from that black vent, pushing against the staleness of the room, indicating that it led to the outside.

"Get in, Fudo Yusei. I'll close this after us."

Yusei obediently ducked in. He could hear Crow grunt heavily behind him as the Satellite-born young man heaved the wardrobe back into place from the inside. In the pitch-black passage, he suddenly heard Crow whisper: "This way."

Crow's hand grabbed Yusei's arm. Stumbling, Yusei made through the impossibly dark passage with his companion, its path so convoluted that only its designer would have known the way. The only guidance Yusei had was that the air on his face was getting increasingly fresh, a sign that they were indeed heading out. He expected them to come out in the open anytime now. Therefore, he uttered a small yell of surprise when Crow suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, and Yusei bumped right into him.

"We're gonna stop here." Crow dragged Yusei aside. "There should be a seat somewhere. Sit."

Yusei's hands found the chipped surface of a wooden bench as he fumbled in the darkness, and he sank down into it. Crow had also settled down next to him, it seemed. The Satellite man's voice came from the air not too far away. "We're going to wait here. At least till Kiryu goes away."

As Crow stopped talking, silence once again fell around them. Yusei held his breath. Far away, he could hear the sound of a lone bird's cry. It was shrill and echoing, like the voice of a seagull surfing on the tip of the wind. Do these birds gather in the polluted air of Satellite? Yusei didn't think so. "Crow, what was that –"

"Shh." Crow's voice was tenser then before. "He's... here."

The distant sound then reverberated all around them. Yusei kept very still as the sound kept permeating the air without end. It was drawn out, with one cry after the other, and was certainly not made by any bird that Yusei knew of. Was it really the sound of beast or man? He had never heard anything like it. There were no gaps in the sound, no pauses to let the creature take a new breath, just one long wailing that seemed to go on and on. As the sound finally began to fade and gradually die away, he heard Crow sigh in relief. "Finally. He's gone."

After what seemed like eternity to Yusei – which, in fact, must have only been about two minutes – the alien sound disappeared completely. "Let's stay here for a bit." Yusei heard Crow say this as the bench creaked a little under their weight. "Kiryu can be a devious bastard. I'm not too keen to rush back." There was a pause. "Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Yusei leaned gingerly back against the wall behind him. "Although… what was that just before?"

"A dragon." Matter-of-factly, Crow said that word as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"Dra –!" Yusei swore that he had more surprises hitting him today than the past few years added together. "Ki-Kiryu's not a psychic duelist, is he?"

Crow gave a wry chuckle. "You caught on fast. No, he's not. But… let's just say that someone here in Satellite had found a way to harness the power of psychic duelists and can distribute it to normal duelists, and Kiryu now possess one of these contraptions. Do you know what I mean?"

Yusei gritted his teeth. "How… how can that be done?"

"I'm currently carrying a black duel disk, right? That's how it was done. To cut a long story short, it used the power of Momentum's endless energy. But instead of positive energy that Momentum normally supplies, these black discs take its _reverse-flow_."

"But Momentum is located in the City, and Satellite gets no supply from Momentum's output. Isn't that right?" Yusei tried to grasp the situation. That's right, he knew as much about Momentum as just about anyone ever could. It was his father's masterpiece, after all. Yusei had literally grown up with it. Heck, his father had even named him after the Yusei Particle, the dimensionless and ethereal particle that kept the eternal machine in never-ending motion. Momentum is the machine responsible for all of the City's electricity, the contraption which transcended the very foundations of modern physics. Satellite had nothing to do with this divine machine's power.

"You're sure you aren't forgetting something, Fudo Yusei?" Crow's tone sounded weary as he replied. "Your father's first experimental ground was here, in Satellite, where he built his very first Momentum machine. The Old Momentum is still running even today, though it only supplies a little of the City's power bill nowadays. It used to be the main generator though, before Momentum is re-built over at the City about a decade ago. Surely your father told you that?"

"Are you saying that… someone got into the Old Momentum system, and began to supply these black duel disks with reverse-flow?" Yusei paused as the unfamiliar phrase escaped from his lips. "What is reverse-flow, anyways? Sure, theoretically you can make Momentum turn the other way, but that would only generate the opposite of energy, which is…" The City man's voice faltered. Physics does not have a term for the concept of 'the opposite of energy'. It would be a black hole, perhaps, or dark energy, or something that humans hadn't even began comprehending.

"Bull's-eye, Yusei. You're right. The maker of these duel disks had reversed Old Momentum. Momentum is an infinite power source whether it's cranking forwards or backwards. And these duel disks… have been programmed to use its reverse-flow to physically materialise Duel Monsters," Crow heaved a gloomy sigh, "giving anyone the power of psychic duelists. I have no idea how it works out. Then again, does anyone understand how the mind of a psychic duelist manages to materialise digital projections into physical beings?"

"Momentum's reverse-flow is against the law of physics." Yusei muttered. He had been through the construction and theories behind Momentum when he completed his tertiary studies, marvelling at his father's ingenuity and secretly swore to himself to one day continue his father's divine work. Even so, he could not understand how a machine made to create pure energy can reverse its motion without damaging the rules of the physical world, such as time and space. "It must be done by someone who understood Momentum very well."

"Nice analysis. Well… Izayoi and Kiryu aren't the only ones to walk out of Rosewood alive, I'll tell you that. There is another ghost from that place. They say he's one of the original researchers for Momentum in your father's first team, and that he was driven mad by the project. Apparently, he's the one behind all the tech." Crow grunted. "I just hope Kiryu hadn't handed too many of them out to Satellite thugs and started to actually create an army to take on the City."

Yusei didn't know how to respond to that. The two of them sat in silence, each troubled by his own thoughts over what was just said. Yusei stared unblinking at the darkness before him, his mind reeling as he placed all the pieces together. He wished he had come to Satellite sooner. He wished he had acted in a rasher manner, and paid less attention to his schedules and duties as a King. While he duelled in his silver-white stadium and quietly searched for Aki during his precious moments of spare time, a seething madness was silently blooming in the heart of Satellite. And others were fighting for her while Yusei did not. They fought to protect her, or to claim her. And all the while he was oblivious to it all.

Then, what does that make of Crow?

"Why are you in this, Crow?"

"Hmm?" Curiosity rose in Crow's voice as he addressed Yusei's question.

"Why are you helping me?" Yusei chose his words carefully. "You're effectively helping the City. I mean, shouldn't you be…?"

"Ah… well, let's put it this way." Crow gave an awkward chuckle. "It's partly my fault… that Izayoi Aki became who she is today."

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Rua greeted the morning sun with a large yawn and a delicious stretch as he walked out into his lounge. Last night had been a little hectic in his house, to say the least. He would've slept in this morning, but today was a school day. Some things can't be helped.

"Morning, Ruaaaaa-." His sister seemed to be similarly affected by a lack of sleep as her early morning greeting was drawn out into a long yawn. Rubbing her eyes, Ruka looked blurrily at her brother, who was trying hard to stifle another big yawn.

"I so shouldn't have stayed up so late with you guys last night." Sinking into the sofa, the little boy grumbled and reached out for the glass of cold water left on the table from last night. He downed it in one go, hoping it would wake him up.

"At least we got something done." Ruka dragged herself toward the kitchen instead, and pulled out milk and cereals to get breakfast over and done with. "I can't turn Jack and Carly away when they rushed in like that. Want some cereals too, Rua?"

"Yes please." Rua stretched himself out on the sofa. "Speaking of these two… Do you actually believe what they said last night, though…?"

Ruka paused in her breakfast preparations, and a blanket of silence briefly enveloped them as they each reflected on what had happened last night. Jack and Carly had called with a piece of urgent news – that Yusei was still alive and well in Satellite, and he needed help. The twins had understandably been wary of this information, but Jack insisted, and showed them the messages that Crow had sent to his D-Wheel requesting help. Not to mention they had then sat down and Jack had told them everything about how Crow and he grew up together.

"Do you trust Jack, Ruka?" Rua made a face and looked straight at his sister. "He may not have a Mark, but he is called the King of Satellite, after all. And he acts like such a jerk too."

"I believe him." Ruka poured milk into their cereal bowls. "I've held Crow-san's card once. Its owner didn't want to hurt me, and I believe the same goes to Jack."

"I just hope Jack and Carly can manage to bring Yusei back quickly." Rua's face fell as he pushed back another yawn. "I guess we should be glad to have at least _some_ news from Yusei. It's better than just have him missing."

"Yep, and hopefully we'll be hearing from Jack and Carly from Satellite sometime tonight." Ruka smiled with that thought, and carried two bowls of cereals over to the lounge, plonking one down in front of Rua. "The _special shipment_ that we got Taka-san from Dad's logistic company to ship over to Satellite should have arrived by now, wouldn't you say?"

* * *

Graduating this year, so the weight of studies is bearing down heavily on me. Nevertheless, it's still possible to squeeze out some odd times for personal hobbies. This chapter was written up on my phone during bus rides to and from the university. Life never really gives you a breather, doesn't it?


	13. II 5: Hope

**Cinqo**

Today was like any other normal day in the Fudo household. Like always, everyone rose early and had breakfast before preparing to go their separate ways to work. The only difference, if we must find one, was that their son was missing from the dining room that was currently basking in the full light of the morning sun.

Despite repeated reassurances from Goodwin, the atmosphere in the house remained gloomy and still. Yusei had left for Satellite exactly two days ago, and nothing had been heard of him since. The news of his Security retinue's demise only made things seem more glum. Both Professor Fudo and his wife had been through blaming themselves for allowing their son to go on that crazy journey. Now all they could do was to sit still and wait for any kind of news.

"Buzz!"

It was far too early in the morning to have a visitor, but the doorbell had definitely rang through the silent house. As if startled out of their thoughts, Yusei's parents spent one millisecond staring at each other, then both sprang up from the dining table and ran to the door at the same time.

"Yusei – !"

"… No, though I'm certain he'd back very soon." An apologetic Rex Goodwin stood outside their doors as the Fudos stared at him in eager expectation. "I'm sorry to call in this early, but I have urgent business that requires me to visit you before to get to work today, and I knew you'd both be up early."

"Don't worry, Rex." Despite her obvious expression of disappointment, Yusei's mother sighed and opened the door wider. ""Do come in."

"Thanks." Rex Goodwin stepped into the house with a nod. Yusei's parents backed away from the door. However, Goodwin did not move further into the house. He did not seem like he was here for a friendly, or long, talk.

"What brings you here so early anyways, Rex?" Yusei's father didn't bother to conceal the tiredness in his voice. "You could have called us at work early morning. You didn't need to get all the way to Tops."

"This arrived in a posted envelope at my house earlier this morning." Pulling a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, Goodwin cut straight to the point. "Take a look. I think this is strange enough – and in current circumstances, urgent enough – to warrant an immediate visit to your house."

Curious and puzzled, the Fudos opened the folded piece of paper. It contained only two words, each letter crudely cut from various newspapers as if it was an imitation of anonymous ransom letters in crime novels. Tall and short, thick and thin, capital or not, the letters seemed to jump out of the page thanks to their stark and startling contents.

_REmEmBeR dEMAK?_

"Freaken' hell?" Yusei's father swore uncharacteristically. The letters, grotesque and out-of-sync with each other like tree roots grown out of their natural confines, reflected the light of the early morning sun with a devilish sheen of ink. Yusei's mother also let out an involuntary gasp as she registered the words, and Goodwin's face turned into an even paler shade of ashen grey.

Demak. It was the name of one of their own whom they had lost. With a project as demanding and groundbreaking as the development of Momentum, it was inevitable that the sanity of the men who took part in it were consumed whole. Demak was one such. In fact, he was the best that they had lost to madness, and in a manner more dramatic than any other. The man had one day leapt into the giant hole that constituted the Momentum's turbine of light, the cylindrical container that extended all the way deep into the ground to contain the Yusei Particles and their unfathomable power. Demak had disappeared into this ethereal void, his body never found, and his was presumed dead 7 years later according to Japanese law. Even when they cleared up and moved out of the Old Momentum site, the man's remains had not been discovered by the recovery team that braved the deep cavern to bring any consolidation possible to the family. In a way, Demak had been a sacrifice for his team to obtain Momentum's divine power, a lone mind lost in the tumultuous calculations and theories that went on through the years to achieve Neo Domino's crowning glory. Of course they'd remember him. They remembered him with a sharp pain and regret that kept the team silent for days at a time as they worked on the formula Demak left behind, remembered him as they gazed upon the twirling spiral of the Momentum turbine. Men do not forget their comrades whose lives had been lost on the way to their communal goal. The completion of Momentum serves as an eternal reminder of their loss.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Yusei's father squeezed those words out between his teeth.

"I've checked with the families of all of our previous team members already." Goodwin rubbed his eyes, not succeeding in erasing his fatigue. "It was tiring work, but they're all clear, including Demak's own family. It wasn't any of them. Thankfully, I still have the residential and phone numbers of the entire team from back when I was your assistant."

"Then –" Yusei's father's words caught in his throat. The implications of what he was thinking… was deemed as impossible.

"Then it has to be someone outside the original team who knew about Demak." With one hand on her husband's shoulder for support, Yusei's mother picked up where her husband left off. "But that's impossible. You – we – made sure that the sacrifices we made for Momentum were kept secret. No one would have gotten to it. Many records were destroyed over the years. If all of the team are clear, then there should be no other living humans who knew about this incident."

"No." Yusei's father held up a hand to stop his wife. "No, there is one other possibility, something that Rex and I had considered back then. Perhaps – perhaps –"

"Perhaps Demak wasn't dead after all." Goodwin finished.

The three old friends looked at each other. The corners of Goodwin's mouth were dropped downward in deep concentration, while Yusei's father's eyes were clouded with memories and his wife's face was evidently weary. Standing in the warm living room with the early sunlight filtering in through the blinds, they might well have been back in the cavernous Old Momentum research site more than two decades ago, chilly and damp and lit with only the eerie light of Momentum itself to guide the men through the darkness.

"What do you think?" Yusei's father spoke in a soft whisper. "I've devoted my entire life to Momentum. I no longer know the intrigues and the politics of the City. You're the Security Chief now; you must have heard of some rumours, must have some theories. What do you know of this, Rex?"

Goodwin didn't respond. With his back to the morning light, his face was swathed in the shadows that still lingered in the dark corners of the house. The expression on his steely face was unreadable in his silhouette cast by the slanted light.

"Rex…?"

"You're right, Professor Fudo." Goodwin's voice softly cut through the tense silence. "I do have an inkling to what is going on… I am sorry."

"Sorry?" Yusei's mother took in a sharp breath. "What is this, Rex?"

"I do not ask for your forgiveness, but know this: I did everything for the goodness of the City and of Momentum." Goodwin lowered his head. His voice shook a little, a little shiver that the politician quickly steadied. "I have kept the true reason for Rosewood's existence from you two for all these years."

"And that would be?" Yusei's mother's voice shook slightly. "Don't tell me that Demak is really still alive there."

"No, he is not within Rosewood. But –" Goodwin paused, his brows creased in a light frown. For all that the Fudos knew, their old friend could well have been the lone guardian of this ominous secret, which had lain undisturbed for so long. His hesitance was understandable, but it seemed it was time for such old ghosts to be settled once and for all.

"When Rosewood was created, I sealed – him – in there as well."

"What… did you say?" Yusei's father gasped.

Goodwin leaned forward and bowed down before the Fudos, his shadow casting a perfect right angle of apology on the wall. In that position he stayed.

"I am… so sorry."

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"Alright, get moving, Yusei. Since you said you want to leave on the D-Wheel with me, you've gotta keep up first!"

"I'm coming, Crow!" Yusei gritted his teeth as he dashed after Crow to retrieve their D-Wheels from their hiding place. Crow had advised him to move across the open spaces quickly, in case that Kiryu still hovered in the skies somewhere above them. Yusei was doing his best to keep up with Crow's demand of speed, but he was still just a little bit unsteady on his feet.

"You sure you can ride, Yusei?" Crow didn't turn back as he kept shifting wood and fabric out of the way to reveal the two D-Wheels. "You better not crush halfway there."

"I can ride." Yusei quickly shuffled into the shade of one building and gave Crow a baleful look.

"I surely hope you can." Crow returned with a similar glare as he heaved the last piece of canvas off their D-Wheel. "You're from the City, so you'll have to follow me today. Don't want you to get lost."

"Thanks for the concern." Yusei grasped the handles of his D-Wheel when Crow handed them to him, his fingers curling firmly around the familiar hold. "I'll make it. Where are we going, anyways?"

"The orphanage that I grew up at." Crow fiddled with his own D-Wheel as he replied. "To be more precise, it's the place where Kiryu, Jack, and I grew up together. He would never attack there, and we can hopefully get more information once we arrive. It's about a 45-minute ride."

"All of you grew up there?" Yusei shifted his attention to Crow. Ever so slightly, he caught an odd tone in Crow's voice, and he was sure the Satellite-born man was deliberately avoiding eye contact with Yusei.

"If you're interested, I can tell you about it on the way there." Still keeping his eyes firmly on the D-Wheel, Crow started the engine. "And maybe a little bit more about what I did to Izayoi, as well?"

Yusei paused with Crow's unpleasant choice of vocabulary. "Go ahead, if you don't mind."

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_He made it a point to inquire after her from the guards every time he went to Rosewood after their first meeting._

_The guards had little to say about her, and it seemed information was more and more scarce. He had all but despaired at the prospect of seeing her again. Therefore, he did not expect her to seek out his company on her own._

_The nurses had loudly complained every time she walked toward him during his visits. She didn't seem to care, so neither did he. Secretly, he was glad. At least he could ensure that she would never go mute._

"_How's Kiryu doing?"_

"_He's… away working… as usual."_

"_And you? How are you holding up, Izayoi?"_

"_I'm… doing fine. I'm getting out more… often now. Your… kids must be… doing the… same, Crow?"_

"_Yeah. The summer nights are so hot now that even these brats are staying up late. Been teaching them lots of math as a result. I've gotta say, this year is definitely hotter than usual."_

"_Really? It is… certainly hotter than City… summers. Is that how things are… in Satellite?"_

"_Oh you're underestimating the smoke screen on top of us big time, Izayoi. There had been a few crazily hot summers about 10 years ago. Once it got so hot that the Security's vehicles couldn't patrol…"_

_Such idle chats were what they used to pass the time. Kiryu was always away doing whatever work Rosewood had its male inmates do, and Crow and Aki had a corner of the courtyard all to themselves. Crow knew the two of them were the subject of all gossips in Rosewood that summer, and he also knew those rumours were all wrong. Aki admired Kiryu. The conversation involved Kiryu more than Crow himself, and her attachment to Kiryu was evident every time they mentioned him. He was her hope, Crow had come to realise. Kiryu was the one who gave Aki a reason to live on, not Crow. No, as she had repeatedly told the grey-eyed man, Crow could not understand what Rosewood was like. But even if Crow pushed her, she refused to tell him what she meant as if she was put on oath. Though she welcomed his company, she had also shut him out of her world._

_Crow would have been lying if he said he didn't mind, but he refused to be envious of Kiryu. Without Kiryu's leadership, Crow and Jack would never have stepped outside the narrow confines of the orphanage and became who they were now. What pained him more than that was seeing those invisible chains that bound Aki there. The girl was in limbo, living with one foot in reality and one seemingly out of it, lost in whatever drugs the institution had given her. Yet Crow couldn't do a thing for her. Rosewood did not kill; it simply kept its inmates till time took its eventual toll. Was someone as young and beautiful as Aki doomed to that fate? Crow didn't want to accept it. There were times when it became almost too much to bear, seeing that broken smile she had on her tear-scarred face. But something kept him from running away, something kept drawing him back. It was the hope that maybe he could make her just a little bit happier, after all._

_He paid Rosewood regular visits every month like the predictable cycle of the moon. But his sun, his moon, his scarlet rose, only weaned and never waxed. The institution gave her less and less free time as the summer went on. He saw the longing in her eyes as he sold cards and lent Duel Disks to the guards, and he felt for her. It was one thing to imprison someone, but he didn't understand the rule against the game of Duel Monsters. The cards offended no one. Even the lowest beggars in Satellite manage to keep a deck of some sort. He couldn't – no, he wouldn't keep this last joy from her._

_Therefore, on the hottest night of that summer, he put together a Plant-themed deck and presented it to her._

"_For… for me?" She was stunned. She had never asked him for it, and he had never hinted. This gift was nothing like what she had expected._

"_Well… er… I remember that you liked Plant cards." Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head, his eyes wandering to look at anywhere but her. "But… I mean… the best I can do is to lend it to you. You're under enough security as it is, and keeping a deck for a long time would only make it worse. I'll be back later in the week…"_

"_No. That's… alright." She smiled, a real smile that lit up his heart. "I… completely didn't expect it. Thank you. Thank… you so much, Crow."_

"_Sorry I can't do more, Izayoi. I wish I could help you more, but – !"_

_She stopped him with a shake of her head. "This is… already a lot. Really. I can't thank you enough, Crow."_

_He had a foolish grin on his face during the entire ride from Rosewood back to his hideout. In fact, it still lingered even when he got back and settled down to make the kids dinner. The children noticed Crow nii-san was in a good mood; but he didn't respond to their eager questions, only patting their heads gently and told them to be good and go to sleep early. Savouring the small and painful joy in his own heart that night, he lay on his wooden hard bed awake and alone. _

_He'd like to think that he'd given a tiny piece of freedom back to her, if only for a little while._

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Crow fell silent. The only thing left for Yusei to hear was the sound of the wind whooshing past their D-Wheels as they galloped towards their destination. Looking at Crow, the other man's expression was impassive, but Yusei could imagine what must be churning in Crow's heart.

The silence between them drew out longer and longer. Crow didn't speak again, and Yusei didn't know what to say. He could guess the consequence of what Crow had done. How did the Satellite man managed to face the ruins of Rosewood? How did he bring himself to face Aki? Yusei didn't dare to think of that. Crow certainly gave Aki freedom – but it was not what he had envisioned out of the goodness of his heart.

"It's not your fault."

"… what?" Crow could hear his own voice shaking. He sniffed twice before turning to Yusei.

"It's not your fault, Crow." Yusei repeated himself. "You didn't know the truth. You were only trying to help her. I understand."

"I know whining over it is meaningless," Crow's voice was low, almost inaudible over the hum of the duo D-Wheel engines, "but I can't deny the fact that I triggered everything that came after –"

"Then let's try to save her." Yusei interrupted before Crow could finish. He could read the guilt in Crow's eyes – and he wondered if his own irises reflected the same emotion. He remembered what he was thinking himself as he gazed over the dark sea towards Satellite, shrouded in a choking haze. He remembered what he felt when Goodwin showed him that broken video with Kageyama, with Aki's voice emotionlessly proclaiming her goal. Damn himself. Damn himself for letting Aki go, for selfishly hoping that everything will work out on its own, for having lost himself in the demands of the King.

What is he, as the King? What is a King if he cannot even protect the least of his people?

"Let's try to save her together." Yusei lowered his head, the shadow of his helmet obscuring his eyes. "That's the least we can do for her."

Crow narrowed his eyes. Yusei's expression could not be read, but that shiver in his voice was something Crow was familiar with – he had heard it coming from his own mouth far more times than he could count.

"Yusei… just what was Izayoi to yo – ?"

He wasn't given the chance to complete his sentence. From the corner of his vision, he saw Yusei swerving savagely towards his Blackbird. Crow saw no other options but to decelerate, and narrowly missed out on a crash with Yusei's D-Wheel. Before he could demand an answer from Yusei, however, the King spoke in a hushed voice.

"Crow, you mentioned… Kiryu was going to give those black Duel Disks to other people in Satellite?"

"I thought –" Crow stopped midway through his sentence. "No way…"

"I think I saw them." Yusei gave a quick glance behind him, then kept his gaze at a shadow flying low above them. Crow had thought it to be a large sea bird of some sort, but now he had a better look, he knew he had been very mistaken.

"Is that… Baby Dragon?"

"And there are group of… people on crude D-Wheels, going parallel with us on the street a block away." Peeking through the dilapidated buildings, Crow caught a glimpse of Satellite D-Wheels roaring past. "Damn it. We can't turn away now. This is the only road we can use to get Martha's from here. Hold on, Yusei!"

The Satellite man knew the two roads will eventually merge into one and lead them toward their destination. While something as weak as Baby Dragon is easily beatable, he knew most Satellite duelists were actually much more powerful than City folks tend to believe. If this comes to down to a battle between high level monsters, Crow could well be at a disadvantage. This is not a duel; rules did not exist. The only things tested in a clash between psychic duelists were the attack powers of the monsters and the said monsters' abilities during battle. For Crow, whose monsters were often weak in stats and only strong when combined with other cards, smashing into the monsters of powerful players head-on would not be wise. Even so, he must do his best to keep them safe.

Crow reached into his Extra Deck. "Blackwing Armed Wing! Blackwing Armour Master!"

"Crow –?"

"Keep moving along the road, Yusei." Speeding up, Crow pulled himself abreast with Yusei's D-Wheel. "You'll see a courtyard up ahead. That'll be Martha's Orphanage. Get in, and tell them I sent you. Hurry up and do that while I hold off these goons."

Yusei opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't make it. Crow's trouble eyes made him pause.

"You don't have a black Duel Disk, Yusei. Don't risk it."

Yusei swallowed what he was about the say. He was the King; he never ran from duels. But Crow was correct; he had momentarily forgotten that this was not a duel. This was a real, physical battle between monsters that had solidified in the real world. Biting his lip, he nodded to Crow, and started to move down the road with an inward sigh.

Were Kiryu and Aki truly planning to create an army of Psychic Duelists to overwhelm the City? As he rode on, he could hear Crow issue commands to his monsters, and the shrill yells of their pursuers wielding their monsters against Crow. While the monster certainly overpowered humans, can they stand against the modern weaponry that the City possessed? What he was hearing were the shrieks of dragons and the sound of mighty wings taking into flight as Crow engaged into battle. But even if those monsters were weak, the despair the Satellite folk brought with them gave them strength. Yusei could now imagine just what kind of envy many people in Satellite surely had towards the City, towards its King. And that envy – can surely destroy a city.

"I've got you, King!"

Yusei swore under his breath and swerved hard to his left, narrowly missing a bolt of electricity that dove straight into the tarmac where his D-Wheel would have been, smashing the bitumen into fragments that flew up in the air, light as moths. Grimacing as a small shower of gravel scraped at his cheeks, Yusei gave a quick peek behind him and spied an enemy monster floating in the air, looming dangerous between him and the light of the sun that was shining from the sky.

"Machine King…" Yusei muttered. Fine, scratch what he had just said. There were certainly other monsters that could have taken on the City's artilleries. Operating purely on instincts, Yusei turned quickly to his right – and managed to dodge the second bolt that slammed into his previous location. His heart at his throat, Yusei risked another look behind him to gauge the location of the monster and yanked his D-Wheel in the opposite direction, just on time to dodge the third blast in a row.

The road was getting wider, with many lesser streets coming off it. Yusei saw some of his pursuers, some still engaged solidly in battle with Crow, some chasing after him on their homemade D-Wheels. But what made Yusei's heart jolt and skip a beat wasn't their number – but the fact that they each held a Black Duel Disk in their arm.

"King!" He could hear their yells, screams, shrieking at him from across the block. "We've got you this time! Do you know how long we've waited for this? Seeing you prattle on the television screens was not enough – you're in our hands now, Fudo Yusei! Come nicely with us now! We won't hurt you~!"

"Like hell." Yusei bit his lip and accelerated, pressing on the gas as if his life depended on it. No, his life did depend on it. He had no black Duel Disk, which was the symbol of absolute power in this land ruled by a new and unconquerable fear. Some of his attackers appeared to have cut through the block and were hot on his heels, but Yusei had no time to care. Right now, his first priority was to get away, and as quickly as possible.

His D-Wheel roared as he revved up the gear, the sound of that metallic beast enough to stun the few enemies closest to him. Then, with a thunderous crescendo that seems to shook the entire frame of the D-Wheel to pieces, the engine went into overdrove and his mount shot forward, leaving all his pursuers in the dust as he galloped straight ahead at a speed unmatchable for those Satellite motorcycles. True to his title as the Shooting Star of the Neo Domino, Yusei dashed toward the courtyard that he could already see with his own eyes, leaving only a red shadow behind him as his D-Wheel's enhanced engine and acceleration system pushed him towards the limit that was humanly achievable. The blue-eyed youth grasped the handles of the D-Wheel tightly as his entire body rattled with the machine, bearing the discomfort that this miraculous speed also brought. In this state, the best he could do was to hold on tight onto the controls and keep the D-Wheel in a straight course, and pray he would reach the haven of the orphanage in one piece.

Of course, he knew the price he had to pay for this supreme speed was the loss of his machine's agility. The smallest rock could become his downfall, and the most minute crevice would spell disaster for the D-Wheel. Yet, he was willing to make that gamble, willing to hope that he may outrun his enemies – and their Monsters too.

A beam of lightning smashed into the ground before him, blasting righting through the bitumen to reveal even the network of pipes that crisscrossed every city in the world. What was a smooth path was suddenly riddled with cracks, littered with dust and debris, not to mention the resultant hole itself, gaping open toward the dark underground sewers that once served old Domino City –

Yusei barely had the time to scream before he felt his mount tumbling into the emptiness together with him. The wheels span in thin air as the ground gave way before their combined weight, as the road splintered and crumbled to dust. Falling, he reached out blindly, and barely grabbed hold on the creaking edge of the tarmac over the hole – and winced as he heard his vehicle crashed into the earth down below.

Craning his neck upward, his eyes narrowed in exertion, Yusei saw the shadow of the Machine King looming over him, its pupilless eyeholes blazing with its controller's fury. He could hear the enraged, cackling laughter of the pursuers now, leering at him as he struggled helplessly to get up to the ground level, his feet kicking against nothing but air. His Duel Disk was still strapped tightly around his arm, but it was useless. He could not draw a card. Even if he could, it would mean nothing against those men – monsters – with their psychic Disks.

For the first time in his life, Yusei found himself praying for others to come to his aid. He wasn't a weak fighter, nor was he a bad tactician. Such a form of hopelessness – of having to completely depending on someone such as Crow to save his life – was alien to him.

And it seemed his saviour would not be arriving anytime soon.

Above him, his enemy lifted up his hand, adorned with the black Duel Disk, and was about to give the order for his monster to let loose the final blow. If only Crow might hurry – if only he had more allies – if only he had somehow gotten one of those accursed Duel Disks himself –!

Yusei closed his eyes. But that blow never fell.

What he heard instead was a mighty crush and the scream of men as something thudded into the road above him, the sound of a fire roaring through the air and the painful crack of metal on metal. He felt the road shudder under heavy wheels as if more D-Wheels joined the fray, but it did not seem to touch him – no, the psychic apparition that had hovered above him beforehand never attacked him, as if suddenly lost the will to end the existence of the King of Neo City, an existence that many in Satellite feared and despised.

Creaking open one blue eye, Yusei was just on time to behold Machine King being swallowed in a wall of torrential fire, and burnt into the ground.

Dazed, the City-born man looked to the skies above, and saw the monster that currently rained flames of terror upon his enemies.

The crimson scales of Red Demon Dragon glistened in the dull light of the Satellite sky, and ever beat of its giant wings fanned the fire that its mouth had sprouted. It screeched then, a sound that tore into the very fabric of the world itself, a keening that proclaimed dominance over all who existed under heaven. Yusei simply stared, mesmerised in disbelief, not knowing what had just happened, if what he was seeing was an illusion created by his consciousness overwhelmed with despair.

It was not so. A long, pale hand reached down for his own tanned ones and a head, sporting a halo of rebellious blond hair, appeared above his face.

"Grab my hand, Yusei!" In the cacophony that Red Demon Dragon still maintained above them, Jack yelled down at Yusei, his hand reaching for the shorter man's.

"Wha – what's going on?"

"Get up now. Talk later!"


End file.
